


Cleanup In Produce

by kyla713



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-18
Packaged: 2021-03-16 16:00:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 36,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28833801
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyla713/pseuds/kyla713
Summary: Faced with a challenge he'd never had to handle before, Edward is determined to move on and meets someone in the unlikeliest of places.
Relationships: Edward Cullen/Bella Swan
Kudos: 3





	1. Slightly Bruised Ego

“I’m ready to start dating again, Jas,” Edward said to his best friend as he walked into the grocery store with his phone to his ear and grabbed one of the baskets by the door.

“Edward, it’s only been three weeks. Don’t you think you should give yourself a little more time?” Jasper replied with a hint of worry in his tone.

Edward sighed heavily and grabbed a bunch of bananas off the end cap. “What for? She dumped me, it’s over, and what good is it going to do to sit around and mope about it? I’m creeping up on thirty. I’d like to get married and have kids sometime before I’m ready for the nursing home.”

Jasper laughed, and Edward knew he was rolling his eyes at him at that very moment. “Still have a tendency for the dramatics, I see. You’re only twenty-seven, for crying out loud. And you do realize that you actually have to go _out_ sometime to meet your future bride and mother of your brood, right?”

“I’m out right now,” he countered, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear, tearing off a bag for the tomatoes.

Jasper groaned, and Edward heard the distinct smacking sound of his palm meeting his forehead. “You’re at a damn grocery store, Edward. What are you going to do? ‘Excuse me, miss. Can I buy you a carton of eggs?’ That’s not creepy at _all_.”

“Is that any worse than ‘hey, let me get you liquored up so I can take you home and have my way with you’? I don’t do bars, and even if there _was_ anyone at work who wasn’t married or completely revolting in the personality department, there’s a no fraternization clause in my contract,” he replied, spinning the bag and setting it in his basket.

“Okay, first of all, who the fuck says ‘liquored up’ and ‘have my way with you’ anymore? And second, there are more options out there than bars. There’s singles’ groups, online dating—”

“Stop right there. Not happening. That may work for some, but that’s not for me,” Edward cut him off, shaking his head. “You never know who you’re going to meet online, and a singles’ group would feel like a support meeting for lonely people.”

“Someone is cynical and bitter. What are you going to do then? Ask the next woman you see out to dinner while she’s trying to shop?” Jasper jokingly asked.

“Actually, I think that’s exactly what I’m going to do,” he replied to his somewhat challenging tone.

Jasper barked out a laugh, followed by a spell of coughing. “Edward, you’ve only been with three women since we were in high school and all of them have been long-term relationships. Not to mention that each of those women asked _you_ out. Now you’re deciding to be the rebel? You don’t have the balls.”

“We shall see. I’ll talk to you later,” Edward said in annoyance and ended the call, silencing Jasper’s continued laughter and steeling his resolve.

It wasn’t _that_ strange to approach a woman at a grocery store, was it? If he hadn’t been so irritated by Jasper’s taunting, Edward might have said the hell with it and simply headed for the checkout. However, the truth of the matter was that he really had been lonely. He _did_ want to get out there and start dating again, and there were very limited options as to how to go about meeting women for him. He wasn’t exactly a social kind of person. Not that he was a hermit or anything, but he didn’t go out of his way to go to bars or clubs. He grew up in a small town, and even since moving to Seattle right after college, he still preferred quiet surroundings.

He wasn’t completely heartless. Naturally, he’d been upset when his two-year relationship with Jennifer had ended, but he couldn’t honestly say that he was completely devastated by it, either. She just wasn’t the right woman for him, and as he said to Jasper, Edward really did want to find “the one”.

But in the produce aisle? Sure, why not.

Edward’s eyes scanned his surroundings, determined to do just as he’d said; ask the first woman he saw out to dinner. Yet, the first one he spotted made him instantly shake his head and insist that the _very_ first one shouldn’t count. She looked old enough to be his grandmother.

The sound of a cart hitting the wall of the coolers and the subsequent cursing caught his attention, and he looked over to find a beautiful brunette mumbling under her breath as she began rifling through the lettuce. Her sunglasses were propped up on top of her head, holding her hair back from her face and exposing the smooth, blemish-free skin of her cheek. She was petite, probably no more than a few inches above five feet, but far from scrawny. She had amazing curves from her waist to her hips, and definitely nice, shapely legs. _She is gorgeous and probably way out of my league; no way is this woman single,_ he thought to himself.

Edward’s eyes lowered to the hand wrapped around the head of Romaine she held, shocked to find that there wasn’t as much as an engagement ring on her finger. Not that it meant much, but chances of her being taken were just a little less slim than before.

“I only said I would ask her to dinner, nothing about her accepting,” he mentally prepped himself and began moving toward her, uttering a soft ‘excuse me’ to catch her attention as he reached for his own head of lettuce. She glanced at him briefly and offered a polite smile, which only added to her beauty. He started to choke up and thought about backing down, and he was turning to walk away when he paused. Jasper would never let him live it down if he didn’t try, and honestly, the worst she could do was say no. He looked back to her again quickly, catching her eyes gazing somewhere below his waist before they shot up to him in shock. A faint blush touched her cheeks, and she looked away, taking two steps before he stopped her. “Excuse me, miss. I know this may sound incredibly weird and awkward, but I was wondering if you might like to meet me for dinner tonight.”

The woman gazed at him with an arched eyebrow and ran her eyes over him as if he’d lost his mind. With the look she was giving him, Edward thought for sure she might start screaming for security any minute. Yet, when her eyes met his, she did the last thing he ever expected—she began to laugh. “Oh, this is good. Angela put you up to this, didn’t she? I’m not quite _that_ desperate for a date, Ang!”

“Wow, thanks,” Edward said, scraping his demolished pride off the floor. Apparently, ‘no’ _wasn’t_ the worst thing she could say. “I don’t know who this Angela is, but a simple ‘no thanks’ would have sufficed.”

“Wait a second,” she called out, her hand touching his shoulder as he turned to walk away. He looked back to her with a tense jaw and she perused his face in silence for a moment. “You were actually serious?”

“About which? This Angela person, dinner, or my wounded ego?” Edward retorted, and her hand rose to cover her mouth. “It’s fine. Have a good day.”

“Hey, come on. I didn’t mean ‘desperate’ as in _desperate_. I’m sorry. I thought it was just another one of my friend’s lame jokes on me. How many women can actually say they were asked out on a date in front of the lettuce by a handsome stranger?” she replied with a smile, and he rolled his eyes, and then her features shifted to a more serious expression. “I mean, it _is_ a little out of the ordinary, don’t you think? You’ve never even met me before this. Why would you seriously ask me out on a date?”

“It doesn’t matter. I asked, you said no. I’m sorry I disturbed you,” Edward said, giving her a weak smile and a nod.

Her face contorted at his statement and her forehead wrinkled. “I recall thinking it was a little strange of a situation and asking why, but I don’t remember saying no. Did _you_ hear me say no?”

Edward gazed at her, stunned by her response and the jerk of her head, motioning for him to walk with her. “If I tell you the why, you will definitely say no.”

She shrugged and stopped to grab a few apples. “Well, it can’t get much stranger, so you never know. Why don’t you try me?”

As they walked around the store, Edward explained to her vaguely about his breakup with Jennifer and wanting to move on, and Jasper’s challenge. “Actually, it was more of a response to his insistence that I didn’t have the ba…er, _guts_ to ask a woman I’ve never met out to dinner.”

“I see. So, it was a bet kind of thing,” she replied, and both her tone and expression were difficult to decipher. Then she began to laugh again and looked up at him. “Men actually _do_ that beyond college?”

“Well, _I_ don’t, usually. I honestly don’t know what came over me.”

“So, of all the women here this fine Sunday morning, I happened to be the lucky lady in the right place at the right time?” she inquired, glancing over at him with a glint in her eyes as they reached the checkout counter. “It’s not every day you meet a man willing to buy tampons, after all.”

Edward looked to her in confusion as she began unloading her cart and lowered his eyes to the basket he was holding and the menagerie of items he didn’t remember putting in there while walking around with her. Sure enough, there was a bright pink box of tampons lying right on top. He brought his free hand up to cover his eyes and could feel the tips of his ears burning with embarrassment. At her soft chuckle, he looked to her in time to see her reach into the basket to take them out, setting the box on the conveyor belt with her things. They shared a smile, and he felt himself relax, but he still needed to divert the topic. “Well, it _was_ a toss-up between you and that lovely lady over there.”

Her brow creased, and she turned her head to gaze in the direction his hand was gesturing. Her lips pressed together in an attempt to not laugh when her eyes met the older woman he’d spotted by the grapefruits, a few registers down from them. “Wow, that was some fierce competition. I’m flattered.”

“You should be. It was a tight race,” Edward teased back, and that time, she didn’t restrain her soft giggle.

“Well, if that’s the case,” she began, handing her money to the cashier, and then turned to face him. “My name is Bella, by the way, and I guess we have a date.”

“That would have been a smart, not to mention _polite_ , way to start,” he replied, feeling like a complete moron—he hadn’t even asked for her name. “I’m sorry. I’m Edward.”

Bella’s small hand slipped into his extended one and shook it gently, and then she reached for the notebook among his items and took a pen from her purse. She wrote her number on the inside cover and placed it back on the conveyor belt. “It’s nice to meet you, Edward. Send me a text as to where to meet you tonight. I’m free any time after five-thirty.”

“Sounds good. I will see you later, Bella,” Edward answered with a smile, and she began to walk away.

“Hold on. Can I see your phone?” Bella asked as she turned back quickly. He reached into his pocket for it, and she only smiled at his confused response. She grabbed the notebook again and scribbled something on the first page, turning it to face away from her and standing beside him. The movement caused the soft coconut scent of her hair to waft up to him, and he was looking down at her as she held her arm out to snap a picture, and then handed it back to him. “Evidence for your friend. See you later.”

Edward’s eyes were trained on her as she grabbed her bags and waved before walking away, only breaking his gaze from her retreating form when the cashier gave him the total. Once he finally got out to the car, he pulled out his phone again and looked down at the screen, gazing at the picture. Bella really did have a beautiful smile, and she barely reached his shoulder, and even in the photograph, the glimmer in her eyes still shined through. He felt a tug at his own lips as he read the words she had written.

_Dear Edward’s friend,_

_My name is Bella and he definitely does have ‘the balls’. We have a date tonight._

Edward laughed and sent the picture to Jasper, driving home with a wide smile on his face. His phone chimed as he was putting away his groceries, and when he finally checked it, his smile grew into a downright cocky smirk.

_Holy shit! Who the hell are you and where have you hidden my best friend?_


	2. Freshly Picked Date

Alice gaped with her mouth wide open as they sat in her living room after Bella had relayed to her the events of the morning. “You actually said _yes_? To a complete stranger? What the hell has gotten into you, Isabella Swan? I know it’s been a while since you’ve gotten some action, and four months is like a record or something for you to be single, but he could be a complete creep! He just asked you out randomly without even an introduction.”

“Alice, calm down. There are definitely weirder ways to meet a guy, and he actually turned out to be really nice, and kinda sweet. Besides, it’s just dinner, in a public place, and I’m meeting him there. I’m not completely stupid,” Bella replied, rolling her eyes. “It’s not like I’m jumping into bed with him or anything. He’s just…different.”

“Bella, they are _all_ different until two or three months go by, and then you start digging up all their flaws and end up dumping them,” Alice said, causing Bella to tense and clench her fists in her lap. Her friend’s hand rested on one of them, and she shook her head. “You know I love you to death. You’re like my sister. I just worry about you, and you have to admit, this situation is beyond strange.”

“I know,” Bella answered defeatedly with a sigh and lowered her eyes. “And I admit, I was a little freaked out when he first approached me. But we all have to take chances in life once in a while, and most women have their line of losers at first. Every guy you date is a stranger before you meet.”

“But usually one waits more than twenty minutes after meeting to agree to a _date_ ,” Alice exclaimed, waving her arms out in frustration.

Bella knew, to an extent, her friend was right, but nothing about Edward had given her any kind of bad vibes or feelings of uneasiness. He actually seemed like the sort of guy she would meet under normal circumstances and slip her phone number before the night was out.

After a moment, Alice groaned, pointing her finger at her sternly. “Just be careful, okay? And don’t forget your pepper spray.”

“God, you sound like my father,” she retorted in annoyance as she made her way to her room.

“Well, one of us has to,” Alice shot back with a cocked eyebrow, causing Bella to roll her eyes before closing the door behind her.

**~oOo~**

“So, are you from Seattle?” Edward asked her from across the table of the Chinese restaurant he’d suggested for their date, breaking the silence they’d been in since her arrival.

In her typical fashion, Bella was twenty minutes late and had driven up to find him pacing outside the front door, checking his watch. The relief on his face was unmistakable when she pulled into the spot in front of him, and he teased her about how he’d thought she was standing him up, though it was obviously not far from the truth.

“No, actually I’m originally from a little blip on the map called Forks, bit west of here. Do you know it?” Bella asked, twirling the lo mien with her fork.

Edward’s eyes widened, and he choked on his tea, causing her to tilt her head in question. “I’m sorry, excuse me. I was actually born in Forks as well and lived there straight through until college. How have we not met before? I thought I knew just about everyone even close to my age around there.”

“I was _born_ in Forks, but my mom moved to Phoenix with me when I was around a year old, I think. I don’t know, she didn’t really talk about Charlie…my dad…much when I was growing up, and he doesn’t talk much about her now, either. I moved back up here in my junior year. And you’re twenty-seven, you said? So, this was about eight years ago, so if you went off to college right after high school, I probably _just_ missed you.”

“Charlie? As in Charlie Swan? _You’re_ the long-lost daughter of the police chief?” Edward asked, and even in the dim light of the restaurant, it was obvious that his face had lost a shade or two of color.

“That’s quite a title, not to mention a bit of an exaggeration. I didn’t know I was that popular that you’d hear of me all the way in Seattle, but yeah, that’s my dad. The one and only ‘Charlie’ in the lovely town of Forks,” Bella replied, waiting for him to hightail it out of there.

Instead, he just chuckled and looked down to his meal. “My parents still live in Forks. Carlisle and Esme Cullen. And your arrival was the biggest news in living memory, Bella. _Nothing_ exciting like that ever happens in Forks, I’m sure you know that.”

“Okay, thanks, I guess,” she mumbled with a trace of embarrassment as her first day at Forks High suddenly flashed into her mind. All the attention had made her exceedingly uncomfortable back then, only proving the validity of Edward’s current statement. Her focus was brought back to him when he started to laugh, leaning back in his seat and rubbing his hand over his face. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing,” he replied, but laughed a little harder when he looked up at her. “It’s just that, I really _never_ do anything like this. I mean, asking out a woman I don’t know. And of all the women in Seattle to cross my path at such a random moment, it happens to be my hometown police chief’s daughter. What are the odds of that?”

“Sorry to disappoint you,” Bella answered bitingly, her fingers tightening around the utensil between them.

Edward’s laughter ceased, and he gazed at her seriously, folding his arms in front of him on the table. “I’m not disappointed at all, Bella. And I am not laughing at _you_ , I promise. It’s actually kind of nice to finally put a face to all the rumors and gossip. They didn’t do you justice, though.”

Her brow rose as she gazed at him expectantly, but then his eyes fell. He was such an enigma, and he confused the hell out of her. At times, he seemed so cool and confident, jovial and teasing at others, and then there was a shy, boyish charm to him, all in one singular man. “What do you mean by that?”

Edward’s lips pursed in thought as his shoulders tensed slightly, and she watched his Adam’s apple bob with his hard swallow. “They all said you were pretty. It’s just not a word I would use to describe you myself.”

Bella felt her face flush at his statement and released a nervous laugh. “I’m not sure I would want to know what words you _would_ use.”

“Well, to avoid the risk of embarrassing us both to the point of no recovery, I will leave it at absolutely beautiful,” Edward replied with a quirky smile, and then returned to poking at his food with the chopsticks in his hand. “So, Isabella Swan, what is it that you do for a living?”

Bella released a breath of relief at the break in the awkward air between them, and that obviously, he didn’t find her repulsive. They fell into an easy conversation, and he seemed surprised when she told him that she was a masseuse, but no more than she was when he informed her of _his_ profession—a third-grade schoolteacher. Watching him talk about his students was a sight to behold, and it was obvious how much he really loved his job.

They sat and talked for an hour after they finished eating, discussing everything from their childhoods to books and music they enjoyed. By the end of it all, it was hard to believe that they’d only met that morning. Edward was so easy for her to be around and talk to, and he seemed just as comfortable in her presence as well. Yet, when they walked out, after a debate over who was paying the bill, the nervousness crept back in.

They stood beside her car, and Edward slid his hands into his pockets, his eyes lowered to the ground. “I had a really good time tonight, Bella.”

“Me, too,” Bella replied softly, but the tone of his voice gave away nothing. Was this goodbye? Would she ever see him again? Did he _want_ to see her again? She knew she wanted to see _him_ , but it seemed so desperate to ask him out on another date before the first had even ended, so she settled for something a bit more subtle. “I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed myself this much.”

“Neither can I,” Edward answered with a twitch of his lips, and then finally looked at her again. “I’d really like to do this again sometime, if you’d be willing.”

A goofy smile spread across her lips, and she nodded anxiously, but at that moment, she really didn’t care how silly she looked. Even less when his expression matched hers. “Definitely. Just let me know. I’m extremely flexible.”

Edward’s grin caused her face to heat, and she covered it with her hands when he began to chuckle.

“My _schedule_. My schedule is extremely flexible,” she corrected in a rush, pinching her eyes closed.

“I knew what you meant, Bella. Though either one is good to know,” Edward replied gently, and she looked back up at him. He began leaning toward her, and for a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her. She braced herself for it, even pondered doing so herself, and tried not to be disappointed when his lips brushed her cheek instead. “I was just kidding. I’ll give you a call. Maybe make plans for next weekend?”

“I look forward to it,” Bella said with a smile and thanked him when he opened the door for her to get in. She waved to him one last time as he stood on the sidewalk, watching her pull out to leave.

No sooner had she turned out of the parking lot, she heard her phone vibrating in the cup holder, and knew without looking that she would have over a dozen text messages from Alice waiting for her. At the first stoplight, she grabbed it and pressed the speed dial for her friend, and she answered on the first ring.

“Well, it’s good to know that you’re not locked in a trunk somewhere, Bella. You really had me freaked out! Where have you been, and why didn’t you answer any of my texts?” Alice screeched into the phone; her breaths heavy.

“I’m fine, Alice. I left my phone in the car to charge while I was having dinner. On a date with a _very_ nice man, I might add,” Bella replied in an attempt to calm her down. “And I’m seeing him again this weekend.”

“What? You’re nuts. It’s official. You are absolutely insane,” Alice said with a sigh, but her volume had lowered several octaves.

“Why am I nuts? He’s actually a _really_ great guy. He’s amazing and sweet. You have no idea,” she mumbled distractedly, barely listening to her friend.

“Oh no. It’s the dreamy voice. Don’t tell me you’re envisioning his babies already,” Alice groaned, bringing Bella’s attention back to her.

“Alice, don’t be ridiculous. It was _one_ date. I’m just saying I actually like the guy and am interested to see where this goes,” she replied and rolled her eyes.

Bella wasn’t the hopeless romantic type in the least—her dating record was a testament to that—but there definitely _was_ something very special about Edward. He stirred things inside her that she had never felt before on a first date, and not just the obvious lusting over a gorgeous man. She wasn’t exactly picking out curtains or china patterns in her head after just a single date, or knowing him for less than a full day, but he was different. Intelligent, charming, funny, and didn’t seem solely focused on getting between her legs. They had similar interests and beliefs, never ran out of things to discuss once they actually started talking. And if she believed in such a thing as fate, she might have actually thought that they were meant to meet in the produce aisle that day.

However, Bella was also a young woman with a healthy sexual appetite, and she couldn’t deny the fleeting thought she’d had as to what he would be like in bed. Not only was he very good looking, but he also had a _damn_ nice body, and she’d even been checking out his ass that morning before he caught her as he turned around to ask her out. His lips were soft and felt so good against her cheek; she wondered what it would feel like to actually kiss him. To feel those long fingers of his touching her anywhere he desired. She usually got to at least the third date before even beginning to think such things, even if she _was_ physically attracted to a man in that way so quickly.

Edward Cullen was wreaking havoc on her, body and mind, and she really liked it.

“Hello. Earth to Bella,” Alice’s voice cut off her reverie, and Bella shook her head to clear her thoughts. “Okay, I want to meet him if he’s got your head this far into the clouds already.”

“Not yet. Just give me a few more dates with him, Alice. I’m begging you,” Bella pleaded with a heavy sigh.

“Oh, you really _are_ in trouble. Could it really be that Bella Swan has met her match?”


	3. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3**

Edward couldn’t get Bella out of his head all week. The only distraction he had was during the school day, yet even the kids noticed a difference in him. Eight-year-olds seemed to be incredibly perceptive.

“I think Mr. C’s in looooove,” one of his students, Kelly, drawled out on Wednesday at recess when he received a text from Bella to ask how his day was going and that she had already finished her shift. The thought that he might actually get to talk to her earlier than he had the last two nights, made his smile grow. “Goofy grins like that mean looooove.”

“All right, back to class, guys. Let’s go,” Edward called out to the schoolyard, clapping his hands to catch the attention of the kids enjoying a rare sunny day outside. Amidst the groans, he pulled out his phone again to reply, feeling his heart pound as he told her that he would call her after work.

“See, Mr. C has a girlfriend,” Kelly whispered to her friend, Amber, both of them giggling at his raised eyebrow as they passed under his arm that was holding the door.

“Okay, enough goofing around. We have a spelling bee to practice for,” Edward said in an attempt to settle down the room full of overly boisterous children.

Throughout the remainder of the afternoon, he tried to keep his focus solely within the classroom, but occasionally, his thoughts would stray. The mere memory of Bella’s smile was intoxicating, and he couldn’t get enough of it after only a few hours in her presence. She was unlike any woman he’d ever met; so shy at times, teasing and playful at others, but all in all, just seemed like a very genuine, lovely person.

With a few more innocent jibes from his students after the final bell rang for the day, Edward sent them off with their parents and onto the busses, and was on the way to his car, phone already in hand. As with each day before, he felt nervous anxiety building up inside him with every ring, waiting for Bella to answer. He couldn’t understand why he was still experiencing that. Maybe he was waiting for reality to burst the bubble that had been surrounding them since Sunday, given their strange beginnings. Then dread began to fill him when the call went to voicemail.

_Hi, this is Bella. I don’t have my phone on me, so I’m either working or sleeping. You know what to do, and I’ll shoot you a call when I get back. Later!_

The beep sounded, prompting him to speak, and he thought he must have sounded remarkably intelligent with his resounding “uh” before he cleared his throat to speak. “Hey, Bella. It’s Edward. Just got out of school…I mean, work, so I’m free whenever. I guess give me a call back when you’re around. Bye.”

Edward ended the call and lowered into his car, remaining there for a moment after starting the engine with his lower lip pinched between his thumb and forefinger. He was being ridiculous. Deep down, he knew that. It had only been one impromptu date and a few phone calls since, so what the hell was his problem?

There was a very simple answer to that. Bella was an incredible woman, intelligent and fascinating. He barely knew her, but he was aching to be around her again. He swore he could listen to her talk for hours on end about absolutely nothing, and never lose interest. She also didn’t appear to have the emotional baggage from her past that some women her age seemed to carry. Bella was still such a free spirit, and it was so refreshing to be around her.

Edward finally began the drive home, periodically glancing down at his phone in the cup holder, but it never sounded, and the screen remained dark. Each time it chimed over the next two hours, his heart would rise with hope, only to fall right after when it was just an email or a text from Jasper, inquiring on an update with “the Bella situation”.

Around five-thirty, it finally rang with the most beautiful name in the world illuminating the screen—Bella. _God, am I cheesy as hell,_ he thought.

“Hello?” Edward answered, trying to sound calm and nonchalant, as if he hadn’t tripped on the grout between the tiles of the kitchen floor to get to his phone.

“You’re not a big fan of voicemail, huh?” Bella replied with a soft giggle, and he sighed in response. “Are you always that adorable?”

“More like pathetically awkward. I never know what to say on those things,” Edward said as he rubbed his free hand over his face. “I’m barely competent with a real live voice.”

Bella laughed again, and then groaned as it sounded as if she was sitting down roughly. “I would have to disagree with that assessment. But I’m sorry. I got called into work for an emergency client, and I thought I would be done before you got off work. Then one more turned into one more, and it was just a mess.”

“It’s fine. Just glad you’re okay,” he replied and moved back to the counter to finish making his dinner.

“You thought I was blowing you off again, didn’t you?” Bella asked softly, and he released a heavy breath— _busted_. “I wouldn’t beat around the bush like that if I didn’t want to talk to you anymore, Edward. I would just come out and tell you not to call me, and I’m not even close to that point.”

“Good to know,” Edward answered nervously and yelled out a loud curse as he dropped the knife he was holding to the floor.

“What are you doing?” Bella inquired with another chuckle.

“I _was_ making dinner, but now it seems that I’m trying to slice off a toe or two,” he grunted as he bent over to pick up the utensil and toss it into the sink.

“You’re cooking?” she asked skeptically. “Isn’t that a dangerous task in itself?”

Edward gave a sarcastic laugh and rolled his eyes, but the simplicity of their conversation was in fact having a miraculously calming effect on him. And she remembered one seemingly insignificant snippet of their conversation days earlier—he couldn’t cook to save his life. “Not exactly. Just piercing the top of a microwave meal.”

“I can’t believe you actually live on that stuff. I’m half-tempted to come over there and cook you some actual food that’s at least halfway consumable. No wonder you’re so damn thin,” Bella mumbled under her breath and then inhaled deeply. “So, hey, I cleared my schedule for Friday afternoon, if you’re available. My Saturday is jam-packed, so Sunday would be the only other option. And I’m kinda looking forward to seeing you again.”

Edward listened as Bella’s voice dropped gradually throughout her statement and tried to restrain his groan at the vision in his mind of her chewing the inside of her lip. She’d done that many times over the course of their dinner together whenever she would get nervous, and it was both so sweet and incredibly sexy all at once. He only barely managed to contain it due to the relief that she seemed as anxious to see him as he was with her. “Well, we have a half-day on Friday, so after one o’clock, I’m all yours.”

“Good to know,” she replied, mimicking his words and tone from earlier. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

They continued to talk for another half hour before he heard Bella stifling a yawn, and he asked if she wanted him to let her go.

“Want? Not at all. Need? Yeah, probably. It’s been a long day, and I’m exhausted, and I still need to shower and everything,” Bella groaned with an obvious stretch. “Talk to you tomorrow?”

“And see you Friday,” he added and said goodnight, ending the call and lying down on the couch.

Friday afternoon was less than forty-eight hours away, and yet, it seemed so far off. _He_ was half-tempted to accept her offer to come over and cook for him, even though he knew she was joking, if only just to see her again that much sooner. It only took that brief meeting at the store and a few hours at a dinner table, and he was already hopelessly addicted to her. He’d gotten himself into dangerous territory that was completely foreign to him.

Jasper was right; he wasn’t like that at all. It usually took him a while and several dates that _he’d_ been asked out on before he even began feeling comfortable with a woman. Yet, with Bella, it was effortless. Being with and talking to her was so simple, and it was something he began longing for even before one instance ended. _I seriously need to calm myself by Friday, or else it’s very likely that I will scare her off,_ he thought to himself with a sigh.

Edward’s phone chimed with a text from its resting spot on his abdomen and his hands clamored for it, instantly hoping it was Bella. He mentally chastised himself for being an overzealous idiot when he saw it was Jasper again.

_Any word yet?_

Edward sighed and tapped his screen to reply that he’d heard from her and would be seeing her on Friday.

_See, I told you that you were overthinking AGAIN. :P You seriously need a valium or something, man._

He honestly couldn’t argue with that.


	4. Chapter 4

In a word, Wednesday _sucked_.

No sooner had Bella gotten the text from Edward saying that he would call her after work, her phone rang. One of her clients had specifically requested her and refused to have anyone else do his massage, and she relented. She still had three hours before Edward’s call, so one appointment would actually serve to kill some time and not disrupt that.

Then, one of the afternoon guys called in sick, and Bella was asked to cover a few of his appointments, and she didn’t walk out of there until five. She was exhausted and utterly annoyed, especially when she saw Edward’s name on her missed call list, right below Alice.

While she could have been talking to him, Bella was rubbing her hands all over some creepy jerk’s back, and she _swore_ he tried to grab her ass at least three times throughout the hour. _Derek is going to get smacked the next time I work with him, just on principle_ , she thought as she looked down to her phone again to dial, continuing to curse the aforementioned co-worker in her mind _. He calls out more than he shows up. How does he still have a job?_

Bella figured she would call Alice first to get it out of the way, leaving the rest of the evening to talk to Edward without interruption. She usually didn’t like being on the phone any longer than necessary, despite her frequent use of it, but with him, it was different. The sound of his voice made her both giddy and relaxed all at the same time, though its effect on her through the phone was _nothing_ compared to the previous week in person; it did unmentionable things to her then.

“So, is Prince Charming still as wonderful as he was yesterday?” Alice asked immediately upon answering the phone.

Bella’s entire body tensed at her tone, and her fist clenched. “I really wouldn’t have any idea, Alice. Maybe I would if I’d had one single opportunity to even _speak_ to him today, instead of being stuck working on what was supposed to be a free afternoon.”

Alice’s breath hitched, and she was silent for several moments, before letting out a breathy laugh. “Wow, Bella, are you okay? Your panties are seriously all up in a bunch. What happened?”

Bella sighed and tossed her purse onto the kitchen counter, followed by her keys, feeling a little bit guilty. It wasn’t Alice’s fault that her patience level was low or that she hadn’t spoken to Edward. “Nothing. I’ve just had a really shitty day and only _just_ got home from work. So please, save the sarcasm for another day.”

Alice listened as she ranted about her day, to the point that she was actually shedding tears of stress relief, and she drew in a deep breath as Bella finished with the biggest disappointment of her entire day. Missing out on the time she wanted to spend talking to Edward had put even more of a damper on her day, as it was the one thing she was really looking forward to. “Bella, you _do_ realize how deep you’re in, right? It’s only been a few days, and you’re talking about him like you’re in love with him or something.”

“Of course, I’m not, Alice. Don’t be ridiculous. It’s not a bad thing to enjoy conversations with one of the rare nice guys out there. And that’s all it is. I’m not trying his last name on for size or naming our children or anything,” Bella replied, bending her leg to hug it to her chest.

_Liar, liar, pants on fire_ , her mind chided her, and she rolled her eyes at herself.

Bella Cullen. Isabella Cullen. Mrs. Isabella Marie Cullen. Maybe hyphenated—Bella Swan-Cullen.

_Oh God, brain. Shut up! I’ve only known the man for four days! Thanks for putting those thoughts in my head, Alice,_ she cursed internally before continuing, resting her cheek on her knee. “I’m too young to be thinking about that stuff anyway.”

“Yeah, you are,” Alice replied softly. “He sounds great and all, Bella. Just don’t put all your eggs in one basket, okay?”

Bella could hear the underlying message in her words and in the tone of her voice—“don’t make the mistake I did.” At twenty-three, Alice had already been married and divorced, and had two children under the age of five. Max and Juliet meant everything to her, and she was a wonderful mother. Their father, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. She’d met him just before graduation, and by the end of that summer, she was married with a baby already on the way. In the three years of their marriage, Bella watched her best friend’s once vibrant personality and self-worth almost completely disappear, as he tore her down piece by piece. Since then, it had been a very slow road of Alice trying to build herself up again, and trust was something she still had a lot of difficulty with. Bella refused to allow that to happen to herself.

Besides, Edward seemed nothing at all like Kevin.

“I won’t, Alice. I promise.”

Once off the phone with her friend, she gazed down at the screen and to the bubble indicating that she had another unopened voicemail. As much as she couldn’t wait to talk to him, part of her was also curious about whether one of the messages was actually from him, or did he hang up? Was he upset or even mad when she didn’t answer her phone that afternoon after she’d told him she was free for the rest of the day? What if he didn’t _want_ her to call him back?

“Stop overthinking things, Bella,” she said to herself, but still dialed her voicemail box, holding her breath with the mechanical voice telling her that she had two new messages. Skipping through the first one at the sound of Alice’s voice, her heart pounded rapidly with hopeful anticipation that the soft tenor she had been looking forward to all day would come through next.

_Hey, Bella. It’s Edward. Just got out of school…I mean, work, so I’m free whenever. I guess give me a call back when you’re around. Bye._

Bella’s hand rose to cover her mouth as if he were right in front of her to witness her laughter. Most men, if they left a message at all, would try to play it off macho or disregarding if a woman didn’t answer the phone when they called. Yet, she could hear the disappointment and nervousness in Edward’s voice as he spoke, and it was just one more endearing trait of his uncovered.

Did he really think she would lose interest this quickly?

Bella rose from the couch to grab a wine cooler from the fridge to relax as she dialed him up, more anxious than before to hear his voice again.

_He has no concept of the appeal he actually possesses,_ she thought as they talked over the next thirty minutes, which made her a little nervous, to be honest. She unconsciously kept waiting for him to be like other men; for a crack in his façade to show itself and had yet to do so. It was hard to believe that he really was as genuine as he seemed when she thought about it in her time alone, but with his voice in her ear, it was difficult to believe he _wasn’t_.

Bella really didn’t want to hang up with him at the end of their call, despite the utter exhaustion raging through her body. She only managed it with his calm encouragement and the promise of seeing him again in two days’ time.

“Wow, I really am pathetic,” she murmured to herself after ending the call and tossing her phone onto the cushion beside her.

Not only did the stress of her entire day seem to disappear with a simple conversation, but _he_ calmed her. She also tried to calculate the minutes mentally until she would see him again in her mind, but the math was too much for her tired brain to process. She couldn’t even be bothered to make her way to the bedroom, or to take that shower she needed, having already wrapped herself in the crumpled blanket from the end of the couch while she was talking to him. Instead, Bella just laid down and fell asleep almost instantly with Edward’s soft “Goodnight, Bella” still humming in her thoughts.


	5. Chapter 5

The next day seemed to drag on endlessly. Bella had rarely had that problem before a certain six-foot-tall, bronze-haired stranger suddenly entered her life and made it an almost daily occurrence. How was he taking her over so thoroughly, so quickly, turning her life completely upside down and backwards? She never allowed men to affect her like that. Yet, there she was, imagining him in front of her with every man who lay on her massage table, and having jealousy coursing through her with every woman—feeling utterly ridiculous with both.

She knew she shouldn’t have been thinking that none of the men smelled the way Edward did or how much she wished she could be touching _him_ that way instead. Or whether he would find any of the female clients attractive, or if he preferred blondes, brunettes, redheads, or maybe even women with black hair.

She did, nonetheless, as much as she tried not to. And by the time she got home that night and heard the velvety voice coming through her phone, Bella thought that no one _sounded_ like him, either. It was chilling the way everything she found sexy in a man seemed to reside in Edward. She couldn’t find any flaws in him, and that was more troubling than if he was chock full of them. There was no such thing as a perfect man, and he was quickly becoming the embodiment of the old phrase “too good to be true”.

However, Bella still found herself wandering aimlessly around her apartment the following morning while she waited for the time to arrive to finally see him again. She was dusting here, before getting distracted by a jacket that fell off the hook there, and then noticing something completely different way over in the kitchen that needed attending by the time she finished that. Her head was a mess, and she needed to calm herself down before she went to see him and made him think she was a complete lunatic.

Yet, her mind wouldn’t stop running wild with the memory of his smile and laugh. The way his slender fingers would run over his chin and lips as he spoke of anything remotely personal. The bob of his Adam’s apple whenever he swallowed, the movement of his hips as he walked, that drew her attention to his endlessly long legs. His messy hair that looked so soft, she wanted nothing more than to reach up and run her hands through it as he often did.

_I need to snap out of it. He is a man, not simply an object for my ogling._

Bella still found herself grabbing her coat and purse anxiously when she glanced at the clock and it read 12:30. In half an hour, she would see that face and smile, those hands and legs, that hair…she could barely contain her excitement.

She stood outside the school by her car, leaning against the hood and watching the front door intently until the bell finally rang. She straightened as her stomach fluttered with a thousand butterflies as both students and staff began filtering out, tugging at the hem of her sweater and smoothing her palms over her jeans.

“Hey, Mr. C, can we do that again next week?” Bella heard, and her head shot up, immediately spotting Edward, surrounded by children.

His smile lit up his entire face with his laugh, and he rustled the hair of the little boy gazing up at him hopefully. “We’ll see. Gotta defend your title, huh?”

“Yep!” the child replied, and her heart melted at the sight of Edward high fiving the obviously proud student. “And the pizza was _awesome_.”

The other kids nodded enthusiastically in agreement, pleading with their teacher and tugging at his shirtsleeves.

Bella folded her arms around herself, watching the scene in front of her. There was no denying that each and every one of the children adored him, and he looked so happy and relaxed with them, as well. The corners of his eyes wrinkled with his growing smile, teasing them for a moment before finally relenting.

Edward was entirely wrapped around every little finger surrounding him, and it sent a tingle rushing through her body at that observation.

Bella froze immediately when his gaze rose to meet hers, and he nodded in silent greeting. She lifted her hand to give him a small wave and smiled in response.

“Look, it’s Mr. C’s new girlfriend!” a little girl on the other side of him announced, and a round of giggles erupted. “She’s so pretty!”

Edward’s face reddened all the way to his ears as he nervously brought his hand to his hair and rolled his eyes. “Okay, you hyenas, I’ll see you all on Monday.”

The children all waved to Bella as they loaded into the busses and their parents’ cars, and she returned the gesture before bringing her eyes back to Edward. His hands were buried in his pants pockets, and his shoulders curled forward as he slowly made his way over.

“Hey there, Mr. C,” she said softly when he came to stand in front of her, running her eyes over his stiffened form.

“Hi,” he answered in a quiet voice, but the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile. “Sorry about that. You know how kids can be. No filters whatsoever.”

Bella waved her hand dismissively with a small laugh, shaking her head. “No worries. So, you already ate?”

Obviously, her disappointment was more evident in her voice than she’d intended, having really looked forward to meeting him for lunch since the moment he’d suggested it. His forehead wrinkled for a moment, and then he quickly backtracked. “Oh, no. The kids had a pizza party after their spelling bee today. I had one piece to make them happy, but I still have every intention of having lunch with you.”

Bella nodded with a smile, and her shoulders relaxed, but she remained silent for several moments, just gazing at him. He was even more devastatingly handsome than the image she’d kept in her mind all week. The dark grey of his shirt and the bright light of day made his eyes stand out even more than she remembered in the store or the dimness of the restaurant. The tingling resumed in her body, making her visibly shudder.

“You, uh…still want to, right?” Edward asked nervously, seeming to misinterpret her speechlessness and shiver for hesitance.

“Yes!” Bella exclaimed, causing him to jump and his eyes to widen in surprise. She brought a hand to her forehead and felt her skin heat in embarrassment. Taking a deep breath, she gazed at him again and let her arm fall to her side as she spoke more calmly. “I mean, yes, I do. Where would you like to go?”

Edward’s smile returned, and his hand left his pocket, holding his keys. “Is the diner down the road okay?”

“That would be great. I love their broccoli soup, and I really need some coffee,” she replied with another shiver, and only partially due to the damp late October air around her. She thought she’d adequately prepared herself to see him again, but her racing heart and trembling hands told a different story. He really did look amazing and sounded even better than he had over the phone all week, and she tried to ignore how good he smelled, too. How she was going to make it through lunch without climbing over the table and into his lap, she had no idea.

“Maybe by acting like a civilized human being instead of a dog in heat, perhaps?” Bella berated herself under her breath as she followed his lead and made her way to her car to head to the diner.

After the short drive, Bella hurried inside, and the refreshing warmth greeted her within. She felt Edward’s hand at the small of her back and looked up to him, and he nodded over to the booth in the corner by the window. He waited until she was settled before taking the seat across from her, and they were soon joined by a smiling waitress. She glanced at Bella briefly and then turned to Edward, running her eyes over him as if she was picturing him naked or something.

“Hey there, Mr. C. Long time no see,” she said in a sultry voice that utterly annoyed Bella, while Edward seemed to be completely unaffected as he greeted her in a calm tone. “So, will you be having the usual?”

“Yes, please. And two coffees and a bowl of broccoli soup for the lady,” Edward replied with his gaze directed at Bella. “Would you like anything else?”

She shook her head and looked down to the table. “No, that will be good for now.”

The waitress walked away, but just as Bella was about to start speaking again, she returned with a pot of coffee and began turning the cups over on the saucers. Her hand rested on the back of Edward’s seat as she filled them, and Bella watched her fingers brush lightly on his shoulder.

Bella was seething. Could she be _any_ more obvious and inappropriate? Especially when his date was sitting right there. It may have been the middle of the day, but she’d come in with him; they were there together. And was _he_ really that oblivious to her advances? She wanted to scream at the woman to get her damn hand off him but knew that she didn’t really have the right to do so. It was only their second date, and they had only known each other for a matter of days, so she really didn’t have any claim on him.

But still…

“Your order will be right up. Let me know if I can do _anything_ else for you,” she said with a wink to Edward and left again without so much as a glance to Bella.

She reached for the sugar packets and harshly flicked the ends before tearing them open and watching the tiny crystals sprinkle into her cup.

“You know, you’re kind of cute when you’re mad,” Edward spoke calmly as he dipped his spoon into his mug, stirring the creamer into the coffee.

Bella brought her gaze up to him, and his eyes met hers over his cup as he took a sip, a smirk teasing at his lips behind it. “I’m not mad.”

“Liar,” he replied with a chuckle, and then his features relaxed into a serious expression. “I’m completely aware, Bella.”

“Of what?” she asked, attempting to keep her voice aloof.

“Marjorie,” he answered, discreetly gesturing over to the waitress. Shit, so he _had_ noticed her, and from the hint of amusement appearing on his face, Bella’s bristling at the idea of another woman being within a mile radius of him as well. _I really need to work on my subtlety_ , she thought, chastising herself. But then…why didn’t he say something? Her question was clearly lingering in her eyes as he leaned forward and began to speak again. “Just because I don’t want to make a huge scene over something I really couldn’t be less interested in, doesn’t mean I’m oblivious to its presence. Her son, Jason, was in my class last year, and every day she came to pick him up, her skirt got a little shorter and more cleavage was revealed. But trust me, Bella, even if I _didn’t_ find it disturbing to date parents of my students, past or present, you would have _nothing_ to worry about. She’s not my type.”

Bella glanced over to the counter where Marjorie stood and felt her stomach drop a little. Aside from being extremely beautiful and her slightly larger than average breasts that she flaunted shamelessly, the young woman was petite with brown hair and matching eyes—not all that different from Bella. Wonderful. “Yeah, because what man likes a pretty woman with a nice rack?”

Edward snorted a laugh mid-sip at her sarcastic quip and coughed once he swallowed, grabbing his napkin to cover his mouth. “Rack? I have _never_ heard a woman refer to breasts that way before.”

Bella rolled her eyes and shrugged, only causing him to laugh more. “Is it _really_ that funny?”

“Actually, it is. But like I said, you have nothing to worry about. For starters, that’s not the area of the female anatomy that I’m especially partial to,” he replied, leaning forward on his folded arms and lowering his voice to a whisper. “I’m also partial to women _without_ husbands.”

Bella’s eyes widened at him, and she leaned back in her seat as Marjorie returned, noticing his gaze flicker to her hand that was setting the bowl of soup in front of her. She looked down, and sure enough, there was a gold band encircling her left ring finger, and Bella felt her eyebrows rise in disbelief. She was _married_ and still flirted that way with her son’s teacher? Classy.

“Here you go, Mr. C. Would you care for anything else?” Marjorie said as she set a glass of orange juice in front of him.

“No, thank you. I think we’re both set for now,” Edward replied with a questioning nod to Bella, which she mirrored, and the waitress finally left them again.

“Well, her husband sure is a lucky man,” Bella muttered sardonically under her breath as she pulled on the edge of the package of saltines, crumbling them over her soup. “So, should I start calling you ‘Mr. C’, too?”

“I would really prefer if you didn’t,” Edward mumbled with his eyes lowered to his plate, spreading jelly on his toast. “Parents and students call me that, and it seems very impersonal otherwise.”

“Okay. Edward,” she replied and saw a smile reappear on his lips. She gazed at his plate as well and lifted an eyebrow. Eggs, hash browns, sausage, and ham covered the entire surface, with a side of oatmeal and the toast still in his hand. “A little hungry?”

“I didn’t eat breakfast this morning, and a slice of pizza doesn’t quite cut it for me,” Edward answered with a grin and took a bite of the crisp bread. “What about you? Are you _not_ hungry?”

Bella watched his eyes gesture to the bowl in front of her as she stirred her soup. She laughed and lifted the spoon to her lips, humming in contentment as the creamy substance coated her tongue. “I think I successfully dispelled any pretense of eating like a bird last week at the restaurant. I guess I’m just a little nervous.”

“Nervous? Why?” Edward asked curiously, as he cut up his food.

Bella sighed and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “Do you have _any_ flaws?”


	6. Chapter 6

Edward’s hand froze midway between his plate and mouth, gazing at her in disbelief.

“Sorry, my filter is about as reliable as an eight-year-old’s, apparently. And that’s one of _my_ biggest flaws. Thinking before I open my mouth is something I’ve never been good at,” Bella added, a faint blush touching her cheeks. “So, do you?”

Edward smiled and set his fork down, leaning forward on the table again. “Of course. What would make you think that I didn’t?”

Bella’s gaze lowered to her bowl again, and she shrugged. “Because I’m having a lot of difficulty finding any.”

“I have plenty of flaws, Bella,” he murmured and took a sip of his coffee. “The inability to cook being one of them, as you know.”

Bella rolled her eyes and wiped her mouth with the napkin. “That doesn’t count. That’s like saying the fact that I can’t draw anything more than stick figures is a flaw.”

“Can’t do that, either,” Edward countered and couldn’t help but chuckle at her frustrated growl.

“Okay, so let me be a little more direct. I mean, do you secretly drink, smoke, snore, have a third nipple… _anything_?”

Edward laughed, feeling his muscles slowly relax as the tension from before continued to dissipate, but also more than a little amused by her. “Yes, but only occasionally. No. Not that I know of. And definitely not.”

“You’re killing me here,” Bella muttered so softly that he wasn’t sure the statement was even meant for him. The lull in conversation continued for a moment while she took another spoonful of soup into her mouth, but still didn’t look at him as she started speaking again. “I guess I just can’t understand how you don’t have a girlfriend, even if you’ve only just broken up with your previous one. Women should be crawling out of the woodwork for a guy like you. You’re smart and sweet, and this is kinda embarrassing to say out loud, but unbelievably good-looking. And come on, you’re a schoolteacher, so obviously, you like children. There’s gotta be something you’re not telling me.”

“You think all teachers like children?” Edward asked seriously, and her body froze as she brought her eyes to him again.

“Well, when I saw you today, you just…you know, seemed like you did. And the way you talk about them, I thought…but you don’t like kids?” she inquired in a timid voice, literally stammering over every statement she made.

“I didn’t say that. Just pointing out the common misconception that we _all_ do,” he replied, watching her intently. “I actually love children. They fascinate me every day with the way they view the world. There’s never a dull moment when you take the time to see things through a child’s eyes. It’s the reason I came into this profession in the first place, but I can’t say the same of all my colleagues.”

“Oh, thank God,” Bella breathed out heavily and gave a soft chuckle. “Here I was thinking that of all the flaws you could possibly have, it would have to be _that_ one.”

Edward leaned back into his seat and folded his arms over his chest, his gaze serious as he kept his eyes on her. _She_ was fascinating him more and more as well. “That’s something important to you?”

Of all the things they talked about the week before, the topic of kids never came up, aside from their discussions about his students and the fact that neither of them had any of their own. Any talk of children in the future didn’t really seem like first date material; less so, given their unusual beginnings. Even that moment, on their second date, still felt a little soon by most people’s standards—but he asked. Bella smiled nervously and shrugged. “Not right now or even anytime in the immediate future, and it’s not necessarily a deal-breaker or anything, but yeah, it’s pretty important to me. I’d like to have kids someday, and I would hate to write that off as a possibility. Okay, we can really change the subject now before I start embarrassing myself more.”

God, she was so damn cute. How he wanted to reach out and touch her so badly. To hold her hand over the table as they talked and feel her fingers threaded between his. Maybe in a more intimate setting, rather than a crowded and busy lunchtime diner. He envisioned watching her cook in his kitchen as he stood behind her with his hands on her hips, kissing her neck in an attempt to distract her in order to steal a piece of bacon. And Bella slapping his hand when she caught him and then sitting down at his table to eat together; simple pleasures he yearned for so much. Obviously, he was getting far too ahead of himself— they barely knew each other.

“Well, I’m a hopeless romantic, for starters,” Edward started suddenly, and she froze in her movements. If she could divulge such personal details, then so could he. “I believe in fate and soul mates. It takes nothing to make me jealous, so I guess I’m a little insecure. And I’m a bit shy at times.”

“Says the man who asked a perfect stranger out to dinner in the middle of a grocery store,” Bella replied, arching an eyebrow, and he couldn’t help but laugh.

“I said ‘at times’. But that happened to be a very abnormal circumstance for me. I’ve dated exactly three women in my life before this, and every single one of them asked _me_ out,” he answered softly, looking down to his lap. They’d discussed prior relationships, but he had always managed to leave that detail out, and in his mind, with good reason. “Whichever way you look at it, neither of those is exactly an appealing trait. Women like confident men, but not total creeps, either.”

“You’re not a creep, Edward,” Bella replied, shaking her head. “And none of those things you mentioned are entirely unappealing, except maybe the jealousy part.”

“Feel better now?” Edward asked, and she nodded when she gazed at him again, the crinkles around her eyes deepening with her beautiful smile. “And I’ll work on the jealousy issue.”

“Good. And as I’ve so clearly displayed today, I guess I could use some fine-tuning in that department as well,” she answered with a smirk and took the last spoonful of her soup, and then returned her gaze to him. “Anyone who would give you _reason_ to be jealous usually isn’t worth your time, anyway. And otherwise, it’s generally an overreaction.”

“I guess I’m guilty of that once in a while, too,” he answered and sat forward to resume eating. If he ever saw or heard from her after that meal, it would be a miracle, and he began preparing himself for that eventuality as his doubt welled up inside him again. He thought those worries and feelings were bad the week before, standing in that parking lot of the restaurant with her, and they were ten times worse at that moment. Even after such a short time of knowing her, he found it difficult to imagine never having another meeting or phone call with her.

“Obviously,” Bella remarked, and he lifted his eyes to find her still smiling at him. Her head tilted slightly as if she was evaluating him, and it did nothing to ease his nervousness. “You haven’t scared me off, you know.”

Edward gazed at her in surprise; was he really that transparent? It was as if she had just read his thoughts as clearly as if he had spoken them aloud, and it was slightly embarrassing.

“Edward, I really like you,” she said shyly as she folded her arms around herself. “You don’t need to be flawless for that. In fact, it’s a huge relief that you’re _not_ perfect, because then I’d wonder how real you actually are, and that would be more of a turn _off_ for me. And I don’t want that. You don’t need to pretend to be someone you’re not. Just be yourself.”

“Okay,” he replied with a nod, and even he could hear the relief in his voice. He lowered his eyes to his plate and shifted the eggs around with his fork, speaking again before taking another bite. “I really like you, too, Bella.”

“So, how are we doing over here?” Marjorie inquired as she returned to their table, and Edward felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise, and definitely not in a pleasant way. He had instantly regretted suggesting the diner to Bella the moment they set foot inside and he spotted the waitress by the counter. He’d tried to mask his irritation when she boldly began flirting with him, even though he was there with someone else, and if it hadn’t bothered Bella so intensely, he might have been as successful as usual. Even at that moment, the relaxed demeanor they’d been sharing disappeared, and her body was rigid once again, and that did not settle well with him. He wanted to leave, but he wasn’t quite ready to part company with Bella just yet. “Would you like something else?”

Bella’s eyes rose to meet his from across the table, and she shook her head before lowering them again without a word. Edward dismissed Marjorie as cordially as he could manage and leaned forward on the table once she departed, waiting for Bella to look at him again and talk to him. “I’m sorry, but her persistence is really annoying. If it wasn’t so damn cold out today, I’d say let’s go somewhere else, but options are really limited. And I’ve been looking forward to this too much to say goodbye after an hour.”

“As have I. Just grin and bear it, right?” Edward answered with a smile, and finally, hers returned as well and she nodded.

“Or we could figure out something else to do. It’s still early, and we can’t really sit here all day,” Bella said as she picked at her napkin.

“Well, we could maybe go back to my place. It’s just a few blocks away from here,” he spoke without thinking and instantly began backtracking when her wide eyes rose to him. “Oh, not _that_. I only meant that we could sit and talk somewhere quiet. I wasn’t insinuating… _damn it_.”

“Edward, I know,” Bella replied, and her features relaxed as he cursed himself, her smile softening. “You just took me by surprise, but I’d be okay with that.”

Edward lifted his hand to rub the back of his neck and release the tension built there, thankful that he had apparently not offended her, but his forwardness was still humiliating. He motioned for Marjorie to return, and her smile fell when he asked for the check and a box for his food, to which he couldn’t help but notice Bella’s subtle smirk in response.

While he was packing up, Bella snatched the bill and hurried toward the register before he could stop her, and she returned with her arms folded triumphantly over her chest. “You picked up the tab last time. It’s my turn.”

“You had a bowl of _soup_ , Bella,” Edward answered with a raised brow, and she rolled her eyes. “It’s hardly even. I could have at least paid for mine.”

“I’ll make sure we go somewhere really nice and gorge myself next time, when it’s your turn,” Bella chided playfully as she pulled on her coat.

“Already planning out the next time, huh?” Edward teased, and she merely smiled as she swept her hair out from beneath her collar. He laughed and stood from his seat, and they began making their way to the exit. Suddenly, he felt Bella remove the take-out box from his grasp and slide her free hand into his. The motion stunned him, and even more so when he held the door open for her, and she ducked underneath his arm without relinquishing her grip on him. Her fingers secured around his as they reached her car, and he turned to face her. “That was subtle, Bella.”

She appeared worried for a moment, despite his teasing tone, and moved to pull her hand away, but he held to it tight. “I could have been _less_ subtle and started making out with you in the middle of the diner, but that seemed a bit extreme. Besides, that’s more of a third or fourth date kind of thing, and I figured we should at least have our first kiss beforehand. And _not_ under circumstances like that.”

Edward nodded and leaned forward to brush his lips on her cheek, whispering in her ear. “I agree.”

Bella visibly shivered and smiled when she spotted the waitress glaring out the window while she cleared their vacated table. “That wasn’t very subtle, either.”

“Well, that wasn’t exactly my motivation, but I’m assuming it worked?” he asked, and she pressed her lips together to mask her laugh as she nodded. “Yeah, she didn’t look too happy about the invite to my place, either. Maybe someday, she’ll learn to take a hint.”

Edward shrugged unabashedly and made his way to his car once she had settled into hers. She waited as he started up his car and pulled out after him to follow him back to his place.

 _Very enigmatic man, indeed_.


	7. Chapter 7

_I am standing in Edward’s apartment,_ Bella mused to herself once he’d disappeared into his bathroom to change shortly after their arrival. From the way he’d described it beforehand, apologizing for the “mess”, she expected something akin to a tornado path when she stepped inside. There were several open boxes, but he had them lined neatly along the wall of the small studio. A couple of shirts hung over the back of the kitchen chair and a few dishes were in the sink, but certainly nothing worse than her own apartment. And she’d been settled for over a year as opposed to the few weeks that Edward had.

One thing did catch her attention, though.

“No bed?” she asked when he finally emerged, and he looked over his shoulder at her with a raised eyebrow as he collected the aforementioned shirts. “Sorry, just ignore me.”

“Not a chance, Bella,” he answered with a smile and crossed the room to toss the clothes into the hamper, tapping the end of the couch with his foot. “Futon. Space conservation.”

“Oh, of course,” Bella replied and barely restrained herself from smacking her hand to her forehead. “That’s only _so_ obvious.”

Edward chuckled and made his way to the refrigerator with the leftovers from his lunch. “Would you like something to drink? I have milk, orange juice, beer, or water.”

“Water, please. It’s a bit early for beer, even if it _wasn’t_ disgusting,” she said, wrinkling her nose at the end of her statement. “I thought you didn’t drink.”

“Actually, I said ‘on occasion’, not that I didn’t at all. And usually, only on the weekends, which, technically, it is,” Edward pointed out and bent into the fridge, disappearing behind the door.

As the glass bottles clanged, her eyes began scanning the room and something else stood out to her on his desk. She closed the distance between her and the piece of furniture, glancing down at the small frame set there. In the picture was a smiling Edward, standing beside a woman with her arm hugged tight around his waist, at what appeared to be a graduation of some sort. So, was _that_ his flaw? Was he still so hung up on a high school or college girlfriend that he still kept her picture on display? It was difficult to decipher exactly how old the photograph was, as Edward didn’t look much different than he did right at that moment, but it was the other figure that captivated Bella’s interest.

The woman was gorgeous with bright blue eyes and long, flowing blonde hair, and the sight caused her to unconsciously begin to play with her own in response, realizing that she was everything opposite of her. Bella wasn’t ugly, but she was much shorter than the woman in the photo, comparing her in contrast to Edward, not to mention that her own hair was brown, as were her eyes. Nothing that appeared to be of his taste. The blonde’s curves were more defined, she was fuller in the chest area, and Edward seemed to be very comfortable with her— _wonderful_.

“That’s Tanya,” Edward’s voice came from behind her, and she spun around quickly with a yelp.

“I wasn’t snooping, I swear,” she replied guiltily, knowing very well that it was a lie. That was _exactly_ what she was doing. He didn’t seem angry, so that was a relief, but his eyes were still intensely set on her. “She’s…really pretty.”

“And we’re _really_ related,” he added, and her eyes widened. She definitely didn’t expect anything remotely like that, and then he stunned her even more. “She’s my sister.”

“Oh!” Bella gasped and turned her gaze back to the picture. She stared at it for a prolonged moment before looking to Edward again with her eyebrows pulled together. “Really? You two don’t even resemble each other.”

Edward’s amused smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, but it fell quickly as he handed her the bottle of water that he’d brought out for her. She immediately took a sip to quench her parched throat, watching him as he did the same with his beer. “That’s because she’s almost a carbon copy of her mother, my dad’s first wife. The blonde hair and blue eyes are about all she got from him. Whereas, I didn’t even get _that_. I look like my own mother.”

“Ah, I see,” Bella replied and walked over to the couch to sit down. “You seem pretty close.”

“We are. Very close,” Edward said softly. His eyes saddened more, and he appeared lost in thought for a moment. “Tanya was fourteen by the time I came along, so she was kind of like my second mother. More than my biological one at times, and still is, even way up in Alaska.”

Her heart ached with his tone; it was obvious how much he missed her, and the separation between them weighed heavily on him. She didn’t know how to respond to that, so she went with the first thing that came to mind. “Wow, that’s quite an age gap.”

Edward shrugged and tipped his beer to his lips again, pressing them together as he swallowed. “I’m the youngest of four. One from each of my father’s marriages, save for this last one.”

Bella sucked in a sharp breath through her nose and covered her mouth with her hand to prevent water from spraying past her lips. She forced it down her throat and stared at him in surprise. “Your father has been married _five_ times?”

Edward sighed heavily with a nod but didn’t offer any further response. _Great, I’ve made him uncomfortable_ , she thought and instantly berated herself for it.

“That was epically rude. Please, forgive me,” Bella murmured and ducked her head, peeling the label off the water bottle.

“Forgive you for what? It tends to shock everyone, and I usually don’t divulge that information so soon, but I can assure you, I don’t plan on following in my father’s footsteps. Not in that way, at least. He was already on wife number three and expecting my brother, Emmett, by my age,” Edward replied and finally crossed the room to sit beside her, though he still wouldn’t meet her eyes, even when she looked at him again. “My dad isn’t a bad guy, just a little impulsive when it came to some of his relationships in the past. The longest he’d known any of his first four wives before proposing was my mother, and even that was just six months. The shortest was Emmett’s, which was a matter of two weeks. Needless to say, he wasn’t even born yet when the divorce was finalized. But he’s been with his current wife, Esme, for more than twenty years now. I don’t think serial marriage is genetic, though.”

“I wasn’t judging, Edward,” Bella said in a soft voice in response to the slight edge in his, and boldly reached over to rest her hand on his bicep. They both looked down to where she was touching him, but she didn’t move. She could feel the warmth of his skin radiating against hers through the thin fabric of the shirt covering it, and she reflexively squeezed the firm muscle of his arm. The clearing of his throat brought her back to the moment, and she jumped back in response, retracting her touch. “Sorry, I don’t know why I did that. Guess I don’t think before I _act_ , either.”

Edward laughed uncomfortably, but then surprised her yet again when he reclaimed her hand with his and curled his fingers around it. “I wasn’t objecting. That’s just never happened to me before. You amaze me, Bella. Most women would be scrambling for the nearest exit by now.”

“Then, they would be idiots,” she whispered, sliding her fingers between his, and the tension in his hand released a little. He leaned back into the couch and rolled his neck, his eyes closing as he released a slow breath. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just been a very long week,” Edward mumbled and groaned when his neck popped.

Bella took in his appearance more intently than she had before and noticed that he did indeed look exhausted. Even in his relaxed state, the creases around his eyes seemed deeper and his lips were more drawn. “Do you want me to go?”

Edward’s grip secured around her hand, and he shook his head. “No, I’d really like you to stay. I’m fine. This thing is just not the most comfortable thing to sleep on. I’ve considered investing in an air mattress since this cushion is relatively thin. You can feel every single slat underneath it all night long.”

“Well, you just so happen to be sitting next to a licensed massage therapist. I could work out some of those kinks for you,” she replied, shifting closer to him, and his body stiffened again. “Okay…or not.”

“Bella, please don’t take offense, but having you touch me more than this right now might be a _really_ bad idea,” he said, turning his head to look at her as he lifted their joined hands. “I don’t entirely trust my actions with you if I lose my focus at all, and I don’t want to ruin this.”

She slipped her feet out of her shoes and curled her legs up under her, facing him more directly and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “How could you ruin this, Edward? I really doubt you would force anything on me.”

“No, I wouldn’t,” he replied with conviction, and there was nothing but complete sincerity in his eyes. “I would never hurt you that way, but it’s already taking every ounce of my will power to keep from kissing you right now.”

Bella’s brow tightened, and she tilted her head in inquiry. “And why would that be a bad thing?”

“It’s only our second date, remember? That’s more of a third or fourth date kind of thing, you said,” Edward answered with a sigh and lifted his gaze to the ceiling. “I’m not going to rush things with you.”

“Since you corrected one of my statements earlier, I’m going to do the same,” she said and brought her free hand to his jaw, turning it toward her again. “Making out in the middle of a diner fell into that category, not the kiss itself. You could have kissed me on our first date, and I wouldn’t have objected in the least. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed when you didn’t, but it also gave me something to look forward to.”

Edward closed his eyes, swallowing hard as her face moved closer to his, and softly whispered her name. He stilled when her lips brushed a light kiss on his, and she felt his hand release hers, slipping around her waist to the small of her back.

“Is this too much?” Bella asked in a breathy voice, opening her eyes to gaze at him. He shook his head and softly claimed her lips again, and she brought her hands up to his hair. Their moans echoed with one another as her fingers tugged lightly on the strands, and he pulled her closer until her chest was flush with his.

Edward’s kiss was intoxicating, even with the minimal trace of beer left on his lips. It was filled with more passion than anything she’d ever experienced before, yet still so gentle. She literally curled her toes in response, swinging her leg over his and sliding onto his lap, seeking more of him and the contact they were sharing. His hand lowered to her hip and squeezed, and he drew in a deep breath through his nose and parted from her lips. “Bella, we need to slow down.”

She looked at him for a brief second before lowering her eyes in embarrassment at her brazen behavior. As she began to shift her body off his lap, he held her still and took a few labored breaths, and then finally opened his eyes to look at her. His gaze was intense, and she could feel it practically burning right through her without even meeting it, along with the accompanying flush of her skin. “Sorry, I got a little carried away.”

“So did I,” Edward answered, and she caught sight of his Adam’s apple bobbing with a swallow. His hips shifted subtly, and she lifted her eyes to find his lips pursed in concentration. “I just need a second.”

Bella’s hands settled on his shoulders, and she refrained from her urge to touch him more than that; she’d already done too much, despite his earlier warning. They were still just getting to know each other and weren’t really ready for _that_. No matter how much she wanted him, and he clearly desired her to some extent as well, they had plenty of time. He was right, there was no need to rush. “Maybe we should both stick to water.”

Edward chuckled at her attempt to lighten the mood and ran his hands along the outsides of her thighs, before setting them on the cushion on either side of him. “Yeah, I really think that would be a good idea.”

Bella rose from his knees to stand, grabbing his beer off the coffee table, and made her way to the kitchen area. Setting the bottle on the counter beside the sink, she pulled the refrigerator door open, and her eyebrows rose. The shelves were practically bare aside from the beverages he’d mentioned, a bag of apples, a singular tomato, and a few containers of yogurt. “You _really_ weren’t kidding about not cooking much at all, were you?”

Edward’s eyes were on her when she turned with the water bottle in her hand and began walking toward him again. “Not with my desire to dodge any risk of botulism.”

“You cannot _possibly_ be that bad,” Bella remarked and settled back beside him, leaning her elbow on the back on the couch to prop her head up.

“You have _no_ idea, and you should pray that the need never arises for you to require me to do such a thing,” Edward said with a laugh as he twisted the cap off the bottle and took a sip.

“Well, that can be our next date. I’m determined to teach you how to cook,” she replied and smirked.

His eyebrows tightened, and he gazed at her skeptically. “That doesn’t sound like it would be too much fun for you. Aren’t dates supposed to be romantic or at least with an edible meal?”

“Cooking can be incredibly romantic. We’d be spending time together, and I promise, it will be fun,” Bella said with excitement in her voice and found herself really looking forward to it.

Edward looked at her intently for a moment and lifted his hand to tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Bella’s skin warmed at his touch, and she lost herself in the feel of it until he finally spoke again. “I think I’d really like that, Bella.”


	8. Chapter 8

When the sky began darkening outside, Edward knew his time with Bella was coming to a close, and he was dreading it. Even with the promise of another date, he couldn’t be sure when that would be. She’d already said that her Saturday was packed, and he usually spent Sundays doing laundry and preparing lesson plans for the following week. So, did that mean he wouldn’t see her again until at least Friday?

The week before had been torturous, aside from the brief period of time they spent on the phone at night. It was clear that he was falling dangerously hard and fast for her, and he needed to pace himself, but she was making that task exceedingly difficult, though she didn’t seem to realize it. Being near her was both a comfort and maddening all at once—the ease of talking to her blending with the constant, overpowering urge to touch and kiss her nearly consuming him.

Edward walked her to the door at the end of the evening and took hold of her hand before she could open it. She turned to look at him, and he cupped her cheek, lowering his lips to hers in one last gentle kiss. Her fingers curled at the sides of his t-shirt, tightening their grip as she pressed more firmly against him with a soft whimper. He parted from her with hesitance and rested his forehead on hers, stroking her skin with his thumb. “I wish you didn’t have to go.”

“So do I,” she whispered breathlessly, her hand rising to his shoulder. “And if I didn’t have to work tomorrow, I can’t say that I would be.”

“When can I see you again?” Edward blurted out, and her head pulled back slowly to look at him, and then her eyes fell to his chest. “Sorry, I’m being selfish. Should we plan on next weekend, then?”

Bella’s fingertips moved to trace lightly along the front of his shirt, and she gave a shy shrug. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him in some way, and he really wasn’t complaining. It felt like heaven. “Do we have to? Are you busy on Sunday?”

Edward’s mind returned to his earlier thoughts. He was usually a man of routine and habit, and always had been, since he was a child. Yet, the idea of waiting another week to see her again was wholly unappealing with another option open to him. “Nothing that can’t be done tomorrow instead.”

A beautiful smile stretched across her lips, and her hand fisted on the fabric covering his abdomen, and she bounced lightly on her toes once. “Okay. I’ll bring breakfast, then.”

“I’ll be here,” he whispered, and she kissed him briskly again before reaching for the door, murmuring a soft goodnight and walking out to her car.

Edward stood watching her as she backed out of the space, returning her wave when she was pulling away and finally closing the door. He made his way back to the couch and fell hard upon it, groaning at the feel of the slat beneath him. _I really should have invested in a better futon_ , he grumbled internally, but then reminded himself that it was only temporary. With a mumbled curse under his breath, he stretched out along the cushion and bent his arm behind his head.

The taste and feel of Bella lingered on his lips, as did the effect she’d had on his now racing heart, and the rest of his body, as well. He could not believe how close he came to losing his well-structured control with her that afternoon. It wasn’t as if he’d been without the merest touch of a woman for _that_ long, even if a lot of the passion between him and Jennifer had long since dissipated before the end of their relationship. And it had only been barely a month since they parted ways, at any rate.

Bella made him feel different, though. He’d been hesitant in the past to initiate anything with a woman, and nervousness would usually hinder anything from progressing so soon. However, the instant she climbed onto his lap, his entire body stirred, and desire surged through him. If she had succeeded to move before he stopped her, the evidence of such would have been clearly displayed. Even when she stood to grab a bottle of water for him, Edward still felt the need to tug his shirt further down as he watched her walked away.

For such a petite woman, she really did have amazing curves, and the sway of her hips had him biting back a groan. _God, I’m such a pig_ , he’d thought to himself, but his gaze wouldn’t leave her. He couldn’t imagine what she saw in him, being the beautiful, sweet, and intelligent woman that she was, who could have any man she wanted. What was it about him that she actually found appealing? Sure, he’d encountered several women who seemed to like the fact that he was a teacher and sincerely loved his job, as well as his students. He was far from a _bad_ guy and didn’t think he was too physically repellent. However, his awkwardness and serious case of foot-in-mouth disease at times, not to mention their beginnings in the grocery store, would have freaked out most rational women.

Yet, Edward was definitely grateful that she did seem to be attracted to him as a whole, regardless of the reason.

He didn’t even go through the motions of pulling out the futon for the night and reached for the remote to turn on the television; his daily routine before bed. He always hated sleeping in a completely silent room. He enjoyed quiet, but the complete absence of all noise made him feel uneasy, and more recently, incredibly lonely, as well. And that night, after having Bella’s company there for a good portion of the day, it reminded him of how alone in that room he really was.

**~oOo~**

Edward woke early Saturday morning for a jog, and as he was stepping out the door, his phone chimed with a text. He lifted it to check the message and smiled at the sight of Bella’s name.

_Morning. Had a great time last night. Can’t wait for tomorrow. Ttyl ;)_

The winking smiley at the end caused him to chuckle; she was so damned adorable to him. He could picture her in his mind _actually_ winking as she typed that before sending it off, as expressive as she was, and that image kept a smile on his own face.

_I can’t either. See you then. ;) back_

In truth, the change in routine actually served to be a blessing. Attempting to concentrate in a crowded laundromat on a Saturday and getting his lesson plans done was a challenge, as well as a much-needed distraction. His mind did occasionally drift to Bella, of course, but a wailing child or slamming dryer door never failed to snap him out of it and bring his focus back to where it needed to be. Thinking about her only made him miss her more and impatiently yearn for the next day.

However, once Edward was home with laundry folded and lessons structured, and even the dishes in the sink done, he’d run out of distractions. Standing in the small kitchen, his gaze drifted to the stove, and the image flashed behind his eyes of the plans she’d made for their next date.

The fact that she’d suggested such a thing, when he’d imagined that very task at lunch that day, was unnerving. Bella would actually be cooking in his apartment, and while she insisted it would be fun, he knew it could also serve to be incredibly arousing. A woman in a kitchen was one of the most beautiful things in the world to him.

It would take every ounce of his will power to remain focused and concentrate on the activity at hand, and not how sexy she was. Even thinking about it at that moment was rousing things in him—watching her move, rising onto her toes to grab something in a cabinet that was just a bit too high before he would reach above her to retrieve it himself, holding a spoon out for him to taste whatever they were making, and brushing against one another as they maneuvered through the small confines of his kitchen.

He was in so much trouble, but she’d looked so happy and excited, he couldn’t bear to tell her no. He would do anything to keep that smile on her face.

After dinner, the ache in his back sent him to the store to buy the air mattress he’d been considering, deciding that a decent night’s rest was needed before spending the following day with her. He did not wish to be sore or overtired from hours of tossing and turning in order to find a comfortable position, and potentially ruin the time he had with Bella.

By the time he got home and had everything set up, he was thoroughly exhausted and stripped down to his boxers, groaning in relief as he settled onto the mattress. It wasn’t quite as comfortable as an actual bed, but it was a far sight better than the thin cushion he’d spent the past few weeks on. He turned on the television and barely got through the first infomercial that played before he was fast asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Edward was stirred from an extremely pleasant dream of Bella by a soft rapping on his door, and he blinked repeatedly before he could open his eyes enough to focus on his watch. It was already eight, and his phone lit up with a text. He reached for it to find that he had two unread messages, both from Bella.

The first was from nine-thirty the previous evening with a simple “goodnight, see you in the a.m.”. Edward didn’t even have a moment to absorb the fact that, not only had he missed her text, but he was also asleep that early when he shot off the couch.

_I come bearing coffee and bagels :)_

“Shit!” Edward hissed and grabbed his jeans from the floor, sliding them on as he made his way to the door. He cursed under his breath when he spotted his shirt all the way across the room and the only other one he saw was in the basket of folded laundry beside the couch. It was highly inappropriate to answer the door in that fashion, but it was also rude just to leave her standing out there any longer.

Bella’s eyes widened with a gasp when he opened the door and then ran them over him with a raised brow. “Good morning. Did I wake you?”

Edward rubbed his hands over his face roughly and sighed. “Sorry. Overslept. Come in.”

She moved past him when he stepped aside to let her in, and upon looking at the couch, her gaze lowered to the floor. “I should have called. I just thought you’d be awake and didn’t notice how early it was.”

He smiled and tipped her face up to look at him again, brushing a soft kiss on her cheek. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve definitely had worse wake up calls. Good morning.”

Bella chewed at the corner of her bottom lip with her eyes locked on his bare chest, her hand gripping the bag of bagels tightly. “Are you hungry?”

“Yes, I am, actually. I’ll just go make myself a little more presentable,” Edward answered with a smile, dragging his fingers through his wild hair as he moved over to the basket to retrieve clean clothes. He’d hoped to have been able to take a shower before she arrived that morning, but he definitely wasn’t going to indulge while she was waiting out there in his apartment for him to return.

After splashing some cold water on his face to wake up and brushing his teeth, he quickly dressed in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, returning to find her seated on the edge of the futon. She didn’t even bother to try hiding her smile when he approached her and leaned down to press a soft kiss to her lips. “Sleep a little better last night?”

Edward smiled with a nod as she ran her hand over the air mattress. “I did, actually. Figured my students might start revolting if I got any grumpier from lack of sleep.”

Bella laughed as she rose to allow him to deflate it and made her way to the kitchen to prepare their bagels. She was quiet for a moment, and Edward looked over his shoulder to find her lips pursed and brow furrowed as she glanced around. “Do you not have a toaster?”

“In the cabinet to the left of the stove. More space conservation,” he said quietly, pressing the last of the air out of the mattress and stowing it in the corner of the room.

Edward kept his gaze on her as she retrieved the appliance and set the bagels to toast. His heartrate increased ever so slightly as she began searching through his cabinets, rising up on her toes to reach the plates on the top shelf. She really was just so perfect in many ways; so effortlessly beautiful, and so help him, incredibly arousing. However, he couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard her mumble “damn tall people” under her breath, and he made his way toward her. “You only need ask, Bella.”

The soft scent of her hair engulfed him as she swiftly turned her head to look back at him, while he effortlessly reached up, pulling down two plates and setting them on the shelf in front of her. She didn’t even appear to be breathing for a moment as they remained perfectly still, staring intently into each other’s eyes, until she finally whispered, “Cream cheese.”

Edward blinked in surprise at her sudden statement and took a small step back to collect his overwhelmed senses. “Excuse me?”

Bella shook her head sharply, appearing to do the same, and cleared her throat. “Do you want cream cheese? On your bagel.”

Edward scrunched his nose, causing her to amusingly widen her eyes. “Why would I destroy a perfectly good bagel with that congealed abomination?”

“Are you kidding me? You don’t like cream cheese on bagels?” she asked in astonishment.

“That would be a hard no. I’m not a fan of most cheese in general.”

“That’s it. I’ve found it. Your one unredeemable flaw,” Bella replied, her arms waving out dramatically and taking him by surprise, until she leaned back against the counter, with a barely restrained smirk on her face. “Such a pity.”

Edward raised an eyebrow and began moving toward her, watching as her lips slowly began to disappear with her increased attempts to hide her smile. “So, that’s what it took, huh? A dislike for something that tastes like little more than old, spoiled milk?”

Bella nodded, still attempting to keep a straight face, which became only infinitesimally easier when he caged her between his arms against the counter. Despite the playfulness still lingering in his eyes, her heart began hammering inside her chest, though not in fear. She knew that should concern her, as the logical part of her brain had been trying to convince her of since that first kiss they shared on Friday. Everything was moving so fast, and she had still just only begun grazing the surface of getting to know him, but the desire for the man in front of her was undeniable and difficult to contain. Seeing the same emotions reflected in his eyes was not exactly taming the inferno raging within her, nor did his lips slowly inching closer to hers. She swallowed hard, tilting her head slightly as her hands settled on either side of his waist, and closed her eyes.

The sound of the toaster caused them both to jump, then laugh as their foreheads rested together.

“Breakfast is ready,” Edward whispered, making no move to back away from her as if frozen in his spot.

Bella chuckled softly and nodded, her eyes opening again to gaze at him, though her fingers hooked through his belt loops. “Yeah, we should definitely eat before we head to the store.”

Edward pulled his head back to gaze at her in confusion for a moment before rolling his eyes at himself. “Of course. The cooking lesson.”

“I’m sorry, but even the most creative of cooks could not create anything from that barren wasteland that is your refrigerator,” Bella replied with a chuckle. “Though, the fact that you don’t like cheese has made things a little more difficult. So wait…does that mean you ate your pizza on Friday _without_ cheese?”

Edward couldn’t help but laugh at the wrinkling of her nose with her question and leaned toward her to press a soft kiss to the tip. “I said _most_ cheese. Mozzarella is okay as long as there’s not an _abundance_ of it.”

“Well, at least that’s something to work with. What about Parmesan?” she asked as he stepped away toward the refrigerator, feeling a more relaxed atmosphere settling around them again. For the moment, she was grateful—running on lust and hormones alone could spoil everything.

Edward’s head rose to gaze at her over the refrigerator door with a look of sheer disgust on his face. “That would be another _no_. Have you _smelled_ that stuff?”

“Picky eaters,” Bella mumbled as she set her own bagel to toast, causing him to laugh again as he returned to her side and set a tub of Country Crock on the shelf. “Okay, cream cheese is a no-go, but you’ll ingest a vat of oil, with no nutritional value at all?”

“It’s not _that_ bad, and besides, it’s vegetables, right?” he responded teasingly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye.

Bella sighed, shaking her head with a soft chuckle. “You’re hopeless.”

.

.

.

After breakfast, they decided to head to the store before it got too much later, when the store would be more crowded, and opted to take Edward’s car. Though, a few minutes into the drive, Bella was wishing she’d insisted on taking her own. Not that Edward was a bad driver, but it certainly would have helped keep her mind focused somewhere other than him. So, instead, she tried sparking conversation between them again.

“Any other weird food dislikes that I should know about? Since I already have to decide on something else to make today?”

Edward shook his head slowly. “Not really. The only thing that I absolutely will _not_ consume in any shape, way, or form, is asparagus.”

Bella shuddered in response. “That totally works for me. My dad used to make it all the time when I was a kid, and it always managed to mysteriously make its way to the trash can from my plate somehow. _No_ idea how that happened.”

They shared a laugh as he held up his hand toward her, and she high fived it with her own. “ _Finally_ , someone who sees reason on that horrendous excuse for a vegetable.”

Bella’s eyes remained on their hands as he closed his fingers around hers while resting his elbow on the center console. For a man who insisted that he was shy and awkward with women, he seemed perfectly relaxed with her most of the time and showed no discomfort in displays of affection. Only when her hand remained stiff in surprise did the fissures in his confidence begin to show.

“Is this okay?” he asked, glancing toward her briefly and gesturing toward their joined hands with his eyes.

Bella glided her fingers between his and gave him a soft smile. “Of course, it is. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s not as if you’ve never held my hand before. Hell, I seem to remember us doing a _lot_ of this on Friday, both at the diner and on your couch.”

“That was different,” Edward replied softly as he turned into the parking lot of the grocery store. He avoided her confused gaze until he found a space right in front of the building, releasing her hand to pull in and cut the engine, and then stared at the steering wheel for a moment before speaking again. “My apartment was in private, and the diner was just to prove a point to Marjorie. It’s only our third date, if this even counts as an actual ‘date’, so maybe such public displays aren’t okay with you.”

Bella’s eyebrows rose sharply, and she turned in her seat to face him more directly. “Okay, first of all, this is most _definitely_ an actual date.”

A smile tugged at Edward’s lips, and he finally brought his gaze to meet hers as she reached over to reclaim his hand with hers. “I’m assuming there’s a ‘second of all’?”

“Yeah, there is. I admit, Marjorie really pissed me off on Friday. There’s no point in me denying that. She was out of line by _anyone’s_ standards, but I didn’t take your hand just to prove a point or stake my claim, or whatever. I _really_ wanted to hold your hand. Pissing off Marjorie in return was just an _awesome_ bonus,” Bella continued, causing both of them to chuckle, until her smile faded and her eyes grew in intensity. “And third, I am _very_ okay with public displays, as long as you are.”

Edward brought his free hand to her face, gently tracing along her jaw before hooking his index finger under her chin to guide her toward him and brushing a soft kiss on her lips. “I’m _very_ okay with them, too.”

Bella smiled and leaned into him, meeting his lips again with hers and kissing him soundly. A soft moan escaped her as she felt his hand weave into her hair and his head tilt to deepen it. All thoughts about where they were disappeared the instant the tip of his tongue grazed her lower lip, and even in the small confines of his car, she couldn’t seem to get close enough to him.

Then, a sharp knock on the driver’s side window startled them both. “Hey, they have rooms for that sort of behavior, Mr. C.”


	10. Chapter 10

Edward groaned as he leaned back in his seat, while Bella’s skin tinged pink at the sight of a face peeking in the window at them. Was it a parent of one of his students, catching the teacher in a somewhat compromising position? Had she gotten him in trouble somehow? She knew that teachers tended to be held to a higher standard, and rightfully so, as they were role models for impressionable children, and Edward’s students were _very_ young. And he _did_ say that only parents and students called him “Mr. C”.

Her question was answered when she heard a soft curse of “Fuck, Jasper” and caught the subtle movement of his hand closest to the door. Bella’s shocked chuckle echoed through the car when his middle finger extended from his clenched fist on his thigh, below the view of the window, and his friend began to laugh uproariously outside the door.

“I’m sorry about him,” Edward said softly as he glanced over at Bella, giving her an apologetic smile before getting out of the car. “Was that _really_ necessary?”

Bella laughed as the door closed behind him, and she watched him shove the shoulder of his friend, only causing the man to grin wider. She stepped out of the car herself and walked around the back toward them, stopping beside Edward. “So, you’re the infamous Jasper, huh?”

“That, I am, and you must be the equally infamous Bella I’ve heard so much about this week,” Jasper replied, holding out his hand in greeting, and she promptly shook it.

Edward’s eyes averted upward at the implication in Jasper’s tone that he’d talked about her at great length since their date the previous Friday, slightly embarrassed. He dreaded the thought that she would get the idea that he was doing the macho guy thing of talking about her behind her back, making up grand tales of a conquest, rather than just confiding in a friend when he got nervous or felt awkward. Yet, his gaze lowered again when she released her hold on Jasper’s hand, and he felt her arm slide around his back and her head rest against his shoulder.

“I guess I should be thanking you, then,” Bella said with a broad smile, and then glanced up to Edward. “Even if it _was_ the strangest thing that has _ever_ happened to me.”

Jasper’s eyes moved between the two of them, taking note that, even if only for a moment, they gazed at each other as if he’d suddenly evaporated, and they were completely alone. He would have been concerned at how quickly they had progressed to that point, having only known each other for a little over a week, if it wasn’t the happiest he could ever recall seeing his friend. Edward was normally quite uneasy with females in general, even those he’d dated, for months beyond meeting them. Yet, this woman had somehow broken through those defenses and made him genuinely smile. Not to mention comfortable enough to be found practically making out like teenagers in a parking lot. The only thing better than that was seeing the same effect in response to him radiating off her as well. They even shared the same bashful expressions as they appeared to simultaneously remember that they were not, in fact, alone.

“It truly is a pleasure to meet you, Bella,” Jasper remarked and noticed her press just a little closer to Edward’s side as she smiled in response.

“So, what brings _you_ here on this fine morning?” Edward interjected with a pointed look at his friend, who could not seem to quit grinning like a fool.

“Ran out of milk, so I needed to pick up some before Mila brings Nat home this afternoon. I just happened to see your car and thought I’d say hi. How about you?” Jasper inquired, as it was just as unusual to see Edward at the grocery store on a Sunday, even unaccompanied.

“Just picking up a few things. Bella is undertaking the arduous task of teaching me to cook, or at least trying,” Edward replied, lifting his arm to drape casually across her shoulders.

Jasper’s eyebrows raised sharply, bringing his gaze back to Bella, and then leaned toward her slightly. “Good luck with that. Hope you have good health insurance.”

Edward rolled his eyes and chuckled. “Shut up, asshole.”

Jasper’s responding laugh was contagious, and even Bella couldn’t help but to do so as well. “Just kidding…sort of. But I will let you get to it. See you later, man. And you, Bella.”

As he walked away with a wave, Edward began to lead her toward the front doors, only releasing her to grab a cart. “So, where to first?”

“Produce,” Bella replied with a smirk, her nose wrinkling adorably at his responding chuckle before she headed straight for one of the stands. “I observed the sad state of your refrigerator, and lesson number one, Mr. Cullen… _never_ put tomatoes in the fridge.”

Edward rolled his eyes as she began the process of selecting tomatoes and placing them into the plastic bag. “I actually knew that already, Miss Swan. I simply don’t follow that rule because I _hate_ warm or even room temperature tomatoes.”

Bella’s gaze returned to him as she set the bag in the cart and shook her head. “You really _are_ a picky eater, aren’t you?”

“Not really. I just know what I like and what I don’t,” he replied, gently tugging her arm to bring her between the cart and his body and placing a light kiss to her shoulder. “And warm tomatoes is a definite item on the ‘don’t’ list.”

“You do realize that warm tomatoes are a pretty essential ingredient in tomato _sauce_ , right?” Bella replied as they began to move, actually enjoying the feel of his arms on either side of her and the closeness the position of their bodies afforded them.

“Yes, I am, in fact, entirely aware of that, but it’s different,” Edward answered, laughing at the pursing of Bella’s lips as she looked over her shoulder at him with a sarcastic gaze.

It soon dissipated, and in its place, her smile reappeared when she stopped the cart and reached out for a head of Romaine lettuce—just as she had the week before when a handsome stranger approached her and asked her to dinner. His slow draw of breath behind her indicated that a similar thought was running through his mind as well. “How so?”

Edward cleared his throat as she added the lettuce to the cart, and then began to speak again. “Well, with sauce, it’s usually served on something hot like pizza or pasta, and there’s also seasoning in there as well. When it’s just plain tomatoes on a sandwich or a salad, with cold meat or lettuce, it’s absolutely disgusting.”

“Okay, I will grant you the salad thing, but I just chill a single tomato for a little while. It’s really not that difficult.”

“What if you’re on a time constraint, or just _really_ want that salad immediately?” Edward challenged as they moved along, while Bella continued grabbing various items she needed. “You’d either have to eat something awful, wait until it’s properly chilled and possibly lose the craving for it, or go without entirely.”

“Seriously, were you on the debate team in high school or something? You’ve got a comeback for absolutely everything,” Bella inquired with a laugh.

“No. I was considered too combative,” he whispered against her ear and chuckled. “Seemed to come naturally after growing up with two brothers.”

“Wow, that’s a lot of testosterone. Your poor sister,” Bella joked, but as she glanced back at him, she noticed the hint of sadness growing in his eyes, so she decided to save that for another time and change the subject. A topic of curiosity reemerged as they reached the dairy coolers, and he grabbed a gallon of milk. “So, who’s Nat?”

Edward appeared momentarily confused by the sudden shift in conversation but shrugged as he returned to walk behind Bella. “Jasper’s daughter, Natalie.”

“And I’m assuming Mila is her mother?”

“Yes,” Edward replied somewhat tensely, prompting Bella to start apologizing, and he shook his head. “It’s okay. If we are going to continue spending time together, which I sincerely hope we do, you’ll become all too familiar with Nat. Jasper is like another brother to me, and the only time Nat is out of his sight is when she’s at school or visiting her mother.”

“But I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that you’re not a big fan of her mother?”

“That would be an understatement,” Edward mumbled under his breath, and Bella’s widened eyes glanced back at him again. “We never got along, even when she was dating Jasper back in high school, and Nat was the only good thing to come out of it. Even now, they are like a match to gasoline if they are in a room together for more than five minutes. I won’t say she’s a _bad_ mother, or that there’s anything wrong with women wanting to have a career, but she _only_ wants those two days every other week. Fortunately, Jasper has no issue at all with being a full-time parent. If anything, he dreads those weekends and not having Nat around, even if he _does_ have a few gigs scheduled.”

As they made their way through the store, Bella’s mind began wandering a bit as they talked. She couldn’t help but admire the friendship Edward seemed to share with Jasper. While she loved her best friend dearly, they definitely didn’t have the same dynamic that the two men did. Alice tended to take everything in life way too seriously, and while she understood that her experiences had contributed enormously to that, she also allowed one bad relationship to overshadow her entire life, as well as everyone around her. Whereas Jasper, as Edward was explaining, had a marriage that ended in a bitter divorce. He shared a child with barely more than an absentee parent as well, and also wasn’t overly eager to re-enter the dating scene as a result. Yet, he still seemed to take genuine joy in his friend’s happiness.

As much as she hated to admit it, that made Bella a bit jealous, and if she was completely honest, a little angry.

“And then, my wand broke. Do you have any idea what that’s going to cost me to replace?”

Bella was caught off guard by not only his odd statement, but also the awful British accent he was attempting and the fact that they were now in the pasta aisle. She turned her head to look at him standing beside her with a raised eyebrow. “What wand?”

Edward’s smile broke across his face as he laughed at her somewhat dazed response. “Welcome back. You spaced out there for a bit. Am I boring you already?”

Her eyes closed for a moment as he brushed the back of his index finger lightly on her cheek, and she felt her skin flush a little in embarrassment. “Of course not. I’m sorry, just got lost in thought for a sec. What’s up?”

“Must have been some thought,” Edward commented and turned toward the shelves. “I was just asking if you had a preference as to brand or anything.”

Bella glanced at the rows of boxes in question and shook her head, reaching for the store brand. “I’m not picky. As long as it’s prepared right, it doesn’t matter to me. I _am_ picky about sauce, however. Next time, I’m making my own, but it requires a lot more time, and I don’t want to spend our _whole_ day in the kitchen.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Anything else you need?” Edward asked once she finally located the sauce she was looking for and placed it in the cart.

“Only a couple more things, and then we are out of here. I actually hate shopping in all its various forms, so let’s grab them and get out of here.”

“Yes, ma’am.”


	11. Chapter 11

After picking up the last few items she needed, they headed back to Edward’s apartment, and Bella began setting out everything she needed, teasing him with a grin as she placed two of the tomatoes in the refrigerator.

“Funny,” Edward retorted with a barely restrained smile and watched her as she organized the ingredients on the counter. After a brief glance at the clock on the wall, his gaze returned to her. “Exactly how long does it take to make lasagna? It’s not even noon yet. If it’s that complicated, I doubt I’ll ever get it.”

Bella rolled her eyes with a smile. “I’m prepping it now, so we can take our time, and it’s only a matter of throwing it in the oven and making the salad when dinnertime rolls around.”

Edward nodded in understanding and stood beside her. “So, where do you want me?”

“Well, that’s a loaded question,” Bella murmured, glancing over to him at the breathy sound of her name escaping him in a sigh, and smirked. “Okay, I’ll behave…for now. First things first, we have to prepare the sauce.”

Edward felt his brows pull together, already confused— _that’s not encouraging_ , he thought. “Didn’t you buy the sauce already prepared?”

“Not unless you want your lasagna to have barely more than plain tomato sauce with absolutely no flavor at all. I actually _prefer_ to make my own, but I’m cheating a little today. And this is why I said I was picky about the sauce. I add my own spices and vegetables to it. The texture of onions and peppers that have been jarred up with the sauce for who knows how long is absolutely disgusting and ruins the lasagna,” Bella replied with a visible shudder.

“And you call _me_ picky,” Edward teased, earning a mock glare from her as she handed him a green pepper and told him to wash it.

Having Bella in his kitchen was everything he had envisioned, and then some. She actually brought a warmth into it that he hadn’t realized he’d been missing, even while living with Jennifer. There was something so radiant about her in everything she did, from chopping onions and causing both their eyes to tear a bit to boiling the noodles. She also seemed just as unable to resist pausing to share a kiss sporadically as he was, before returning to her task.

She’d been right—cooking together was not only fun and enjoyable but incredibly romantic. For once, he didn’t feel suffocated by the small confines of the room, or the entire apartment, for that matter, or lacking for anything. Not even when she began searching for wire racks, only to discover that he didn’t own any and teased, “Okay, next cooking lesson is at _my_ place.”

“No complaints there,” Edward replied as he stood behind her, brushing a kiss on her neck as she poured the noodles into the strainer and causing her to squirm with a giggle. He then watched in confusion as she began lining the counter with aluminum foil. “Dare I ask?”

Bella chuckled and shook her head. “They have to cool, and the last thing you want to deal with is clumpy noodles and trying to flatten them out again. Seriously, you were surrounded by _way_ too much testosterone in your youth.”

“Actually, the only cook in our family before Esme came along was my eldest brother, Garrett. We probably would have starved otherwise, because my sister is about as hopeless in the kitchen as I am. And his rule was ‘keep out of my kitchen or I’ll beat your ass’,” Edward explained as Bella began laying out the long noodles, following her example to help her in the task.

Once again, she noticed the shift in his expression, but amazingly, managed to hold her tongue until they had pieced together the entire lasagna, covered it over, and put it in the refrigerator. Yet, when he still appeared lost in thought once they were finished, she turned to lean back against the counter to gaze at him. A myriad of emotions was passing through his eyes simultaneously, and she couldn’t precisely pinpoint a single one, but he also wasn’t volunteering information. Finally, after several moments of silence, he turned his head to look at her, and it was obvious that he couldn’t understand why she’d gone so quiet. “Are you okay? You just seem to disappear on me whenever your family is mentioned today. Is it a topic I should avoid?”

“No, not at all,” Edward replied reassuringly, mirroring her position against the counter, then a long sigh escaped him. “At some point down the line, we can sit down and have a talk about our families in more detail, but this is only our third date. I’d rather not get into something quite so heavy yet. This is still so new, and we’ve been having a good time. I don’t want to wreck it.”

Bella moved to stand in front of him, placing her hands on either side of his waist and gazing up at him. “You know, I’m pretty sure that part of the purpose behind ‘dates’ is to get to know each other, and not just all the flowery, happy stuff. I really like you, Edward, and I want to know the _whole_ you. If it’s something you’re not _comfortable_ talking about yet, that’s one thing, but don’t base our conversations solely on how many dates we’ve had, okay?”

Edward gazed at her for a moment and then nodded. “Okay. I’d really just like to enjoy our day for now.”

Bella conceded with a smile. As much as she wanted to know everything she could about the fascinating man in front of her, she didn’t need it all at once. She ran her hands up his chest until they linked behind his neck, while his folded together at the small of her back. “And what shall we do with our time before dinner?”

Edward chuckled as she lifted onto her toes and met his lips with hers, and then pulled back quickly to take hold of his hand and lead him back into the living room. Upon reaching the futon, he groaned, just realizing that he’d neglected to set it upright that morning, having been distracted by Bella, and released her hand to remedy that.

Bella placed her hand on his arm and shook her head. “Can you just leave it?”

Edward froze, swallowing hard as his nervousness mounted. Just sitting next to her a few days prior had been an exercise in restraint, especially with the effect she so effortlessly had on him. Lying prone beside her had the likelihood of making that exercise all the more excruciating. Yet, before he could say anything, she stepped closer to him, taking his face between her hands and kissing him gently.

“Nothing like _that_ , I promise. As attracted as I may be to you, I usually prefer to at least _know_ a man for a minimum of a month before I even consider sleeping with him, and never before the fifth date,” Bella stated with a smile, setting him at ease, even if it _was_ only a partial truth. “No offense, but I had a sore spot on my ass all day yesterday from sitting on this thing for so long on Friday. Maybe having some room to stretch out might help? Although, I cannot for the life of me figure out how you’ve slept on this thing as long as you have.”

Edward shrugged as she lowered onto the futon, trying to ignore the shifting of her body as she attempted to find a comfortable position. _Keep your mind focused,_ he told himself as he joined her, lying on his back and staring at the ceiling for a moment, and she tilted her head to look at him. “By reminding myself that it’s only temporary until I can get into a bigger place. Trying to fit a couch and a bed into this space just felt too cluttered for me.”

Bella glanced around the area, and to be honest, he wasn’t wrong. She had seen hotel rooms with more living space, for crying out loud. It was small, even by studio apartment standards. “You know, there are such things as sleeper sofas. At least then, your long ass legs wouldn’t be dangling off the end.”

Edward laughed at her remark and kissed her forehead before replying. “That’s just a bit out of my price range while I’m trying to save up for an apartment, and also kind of pointless for something I wouldn’t need anymore once I do. And until then, the air mattress will help sufficiently. I’d like to postpone that eventuality as little as possible.”

“That’s understandable. It’s a relief to know that you’re not just living like a college student for the hell of it.”

Edward laughed and raised an eyebrow. “I think this is an _insult_ to college students, to be honest. It was just the first thing that was available on such short notice when Jen ended things, that didn’t require a huge down payment that I wasn’t prepared for.”

Silence fell around them at the mention of his ex-girlfriend, and Bella rested her head on his shoulder, and her fingers curled around the fabric of his T-shirt. In the past week, she had rarely given a thought to his previous relationship and how recently it had ended, and even now, she wanted to kick herself for the sudden surge of insecurity flooding through her. Yet, there was no denying the connection she felt to him, and it hit her that she could just be a means of filling a void for him. Especially when she thought about the fact that Edward seemed to be known as a shy man, usually so nervous and awkward with women, and that side of him had only occasionally shown itself since he first approached her in the store the week before. He was so openly affectionate with her, as if they had been dating for months rather than a small handful of days spent together. She couldn’t say that she hadn’t thoroughly enjoyed his touches, the closeness of his body to hers, and kisses that could literally make her toes curl. However, was he actually just compensating for something that was suddenly missing in his life?

Edward’s hand rose to cover hers, loosening the tight grip she had on his shirt, and her eyes watched the motion as he flattened her palm against his chest. “I’m pretty sure it’s already dead, Bella. No need to squeeze the life out of it. What’s wrong?”

“Just thinking,” Bella replied with a one-shoulder shrug, draping her leg over his.

“Obviously.” Edward’s arm tightened around her while lifting her hand to his lips and kissing it gently.

Her fingers folded around his, and she sighed. Why was she ruining the pleasant time they were having together by suddenly overthinking so much? As her eyes rose to meet his questioning ones, the answer was right there in front of her. She was all too aware that, if she allowed herself, she could fall hard and fast for the man lying beside her—hell, it had already started—thereby giving him the power to break her heart worse than anything she’d ever experienced. If he wasn’t as in it as she was, better that she know now.

“Why exactly did you and your ex break up?” Bella asked abruptly, taking him by surprise.

Edward continued to appear stunned by her question for several seconds and even released a slightly confused chuckle before returning his gaze to her. “I thought I told you that last week.”

Bella shook her head. “All you said was that you were together for two years and things weren’t working out, she broke up with you, and then you moved out. There’s got to be more to it than that.”

“Why? Not every end to a relationship necessarily has to have some tragic tale attached to it,” Edward replied, sincerely baffled. “We simply fell out of love, if we ever really were in the first place. Our relationship had run its course, we didn’t have the same passion for each other that we once did, she ended things, and I agreed. Nothing more complicated than that. I just didn’t want to draw out the process of moving on for either of us, so I found the first place available and moved out.”

“And that’s it? No heartbreak or anything like that? After two _years_ together?” Bella inquired with wide eyes, completely flabbergasted.

“It wasn’t entirely painless, but it wasn’t earth-shattering, either. I’m not harboring any lingering feelings of lost love or regret.” Edward shifted onto his side to face her, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “You’re not a rebound for me, Bella.”

“The rebound _er_ is rarely aware of the rebound _ing_ ,” she murmured softly tracing her fingertips over his chest. “And you said yourself that every woman you’ve dated had asked _you_ out because you were always too nervous. Yet, you suddenly felt compelled to ask a stranger out to dinner, three weeks after your relationship ended.”

Edward sighed and nodded. “When you put it like that, then yeah, I can see how it might appear that way, but it’s not like that. You aren’t just a means of putting Jennifer out of my mind. I haven’t spent the last month lamenting over my failed relationship. I was simply ready to move on with my life. I’ll admit that if Jasper hadn’t dared me, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to approach you, or even had the idea in my head in the first place. But I am _so_ glad that he did.”

Bella stared at his chest for a moment as she processed his words. Never had she allowed herself to be so vulnerable before, and to be honest, that terrified her a bit. Because she had also never wanted any other man so much, beyond physical and carnal desires. Obviously, they were there, too, but those were at least easier to contend with. It was everything else that was sending her head into a tailspin. No one had ever made her feel the thrill and excitement at the idea of just spending time together, or something as simple as talking on the phone, even as a teenager. Or could touch and kiss her as often as Edward did without making her feel crowded or suffocated. He was different from any man she’d ever met, and all that in only a week. What would it feel like after a month, or a year? She finally lifted her eyes to meet his again and her fingers rose to the back of his neck, toying with the hair at his collar as she began to speak. “So, you don’t even miss her?”

“At the risk of sounding callous, no, I don’t. I wasn’t happy with her, and she wasn’t happy with me. To tell you the truth, I was more surprised that it took as long as it did for us to go our separate ways since we barely even saw each other for the last three or four months of our relationship. So, the breakup wasn’t all that drastic of a change, let alone something to fill the void of,” Edward started, and then cupped her cheek gently with his hand. “I’d rather be lonely than to use someone just to fill the time until something better comes along. That’s not me, Bella. There wouldn’t have even been a second date if I didn’t genuinely enjoy your company.”

Bella didn’t even try to fight against the smile breaking through on her face, and she pulled him closer to brush a soft kiss on his lips and then rested her forehead against his. “Okay.”

“Feel better?”

Bella laughed, nodding in embarrassment. “Yes, I do. I’m sorry, I’m not usually this insecure about anything.”

Edward shook his head and pulled back enough to look at her. “Don’t apologize for your feelings. I’d rather have you voice them than to keep them pent up until you explode.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ve seen enough to know that is rarely a problem with me. I couldn’t keep anything pent up if I tried, most of the time.”

“And that is a quality, not a flaw. One I wish I had, honestly,” Edward responded, turning onto his back and circling his arm around her shoulders.

Bella settled her head on his chest and curled her body against his side. “Yeah, let’s see if you’re still saying that in a month once the novelty wears off and you’re wishing I’d shut up once in a while.”

Edward chuckled as he pressed his lips to her hair and felt her arm drape across his stomach. “Doubtful, but I look forward to finding out.”


	12. Chapter 12

For the next two weeks, they followed a similar pattern, working around Bella’s ever-changing schedule—cooking lesson one day, meeting for a meal somewhere that neither had to prepare on the other; though _never_ at the diner again, they both agreed. And of course, the nightly phone calls, even if it was just for a few minutes to say goodnight.

Everything had started to take on a normal, steady pace between them since they had cleared the air about his previous relationship. Clearly, it had been something that was lingering in the back of her mind without her truly realizing it, as she found herself more relaxed around him in the time since. With no fear that he would suddenly vanish.

The only thing that had not progressed between them was the physical aspect of their relationship. Obviously, she _wanted_ to, as did he from what she could feel during the few close calls they’d had, both at his place and hers, but something seemed to be holding them back.

It had started to consume her mind, even as she sat at McDonald’s, drinking a terrible cup of coffee, while she and Alice watched the kids play. _Horrible time to be thinking about your sex life, or lack thereof, with your boyfriend, Bella, _she mused to herself, raising the cup to her lips again.

“I thought you were waiting for it to become iced coffee before you took another sip,” Alice remarked with a teasing smirk, glancing at Bella over her own cup.

Bella laughed with a playful roll of her eyes and then shook her head. “Sorry, just have a lot on my mind.”

“Surprisingly, I was able to deduce that much,” Alice replied as she leaned forward on the table. “What’s up? Is everything okay with Edward?”

Bella glanced over at her again, amazed to see that her features had not changed. She wasn’t her usually skeptical self whenever the topic of Edward was broached, which caused Bella to narrow her eyes suspiciously. “Did you hit up the kids’ cereal this morning or something? I haven’t seen you this chipper since the sugar high you got when we snuck out for Icees when we were ten.”

Alice sighed, shaking her head. “Look, I’m sorry I’ve been so uptight when it comes to this thing you have with Edward. I’ve just been worried about you, and not only because of how this all came about. Which is still a bit odd, to be honest.”

“You sure have a funny way of apologizing.” Bella sat back in her seat, folding her arms over her chest and quirking an eyebrow at Alice. “Yeah, it wasn’t the ideal way of meeting someone, but we are so far beyond that. We’ve been together for almost a month, and I’m happy. Shouldn’t that be the most important part? What is there to be worried about? He’s not an axe murderer or anything.”

“Of course, I’m elated that you’re happy, Bella. Truthfully, from everything you’ve told me about him, he really does sound amazing. Perfect without being _too_ perfect. I’m not denying that, but _you’ve_ never been like this before.”

Bella couldn’t say she was wrong. From the day she met Edward, _everything_ about her had been different. She’d never felt the level of excitement and anticipation for every date, or even a phone call, from any man, and usually, any thrill she _did_ feel had started to fade by that point. Little things about them would start to annoy her, and as Alice had once pointed out, she would eventually begin picking them apart to find a fault or flaw and break up with them. None of that had even _started_ to occur with Edward, and if anything, she didn’t _want_ to find anything about him that would cause her to pull away. More importantly, it mattered whether _he_ tired of _her_.

“I think I’m falling in love with him, Alice, and we haven’t even…you know what, yet,” Bella said, lowering her voice as she glanced toward the half dozen children running around the play area.

Alice’s eyes widened almost comically, and her mouth fell open. “ _Still_? That’s got to be a record for you or something. What’s it been? Six dates now?”

“Seven, and thanks for making me sound like some kind of hussy or something,” Bella countered sarcastically, even if similar thoughts had occasionally run through her own mind. “It’s not for lack of _wanting_ to, for either of us. Everything else has been so amazing. Why is _this_ the problem?”

“You know that’s not what I meant, and why is that considered a ‘problem’?” Alice deadpanned, giving Bella an equally annoyed look before her features relaxed again. “It’s not really a _bad_ thing to take your time with things. Everything else has been moving so fast with the two of you, maybe it’s a good idea to take this aspect a little more on the slow side. Some things are more permanent than others and can have long-lasting and widespread effects. I’d still be a proud Arizonan otherwise.”

Bella sighed, counting to ten in her head as Alice glanced toward her children. As aware as she was that her friend did not regret having her kids, she felt her hackles rise again. “Alice, Edward is not Kevin, and I am well aware of the possible consequences of my actions, but this is also nowhere near the same thing. I am twenty-five years old, with a good job and a stable place to live. And even if I wasn’t on birth control and somehow got pregnant, and Edward _was_ a complete douchebag, I’d still be okay. Sometimes, life is nothing more or less than what you make of it.”

Alice gazed at Bella with wide eyes, taken aback by her small outburst. “Bella, I know it’s not the same. You’re not some stupid, teenage kid in a rush to grow up and get out into the real world. And I’m sure that Edward is as great as you say he is, but there’s nothing wrong with taking your time, either. You know I love my kids and wouldn’t trade them for anything, and I have never ceased to be grateful for you taking me in after Kevin left. But if I could go back and take my time, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten us into that predicament. They wouldn’t have had to be uprooted from all they’d ever known to be transplanted over a thousand miles away because of mistakes their mother made. That’s all on me.”

Bella shook her head and reached across the table, resting her hand over Alice’s. “No, _that_ is on _him,_ not you. _You_ did what you needed to do in order to take care of your kids and keep them safe. He’s the deadbeat that screwed up. The only mistake _you_ are making is continuing to live under this cloud and allowing it to affect everything and every _one_ around you. One bad relationship is no reason to close up shop forever. Otherwise, the human race would have died out a very long time ago. There _are_ still a lot of good guys out there, but you have to stop living in the past in order to find them. Just stop overthinking everything.”

“I know,” Alice replied, her eyes downcast. “But who would really want someone with the package deal that _I’m_ offering?”

“The _right_ one,” Bella answered emphatically before glancing at her phone to check the time. “Shoot, I have to run or else I’ll be late for work. Sorry.”

Alice shook her head with a small smile as Bella called out to the kids that she was leaving while pulling on her coat. They both ran over to give her a quick hug before returning to the play area, and both women chuckled softly. “You know moms and aunts don’t rank up with tubes and slides.”

Bella laughed, digging her keys out of her purse and leaning down to peck a kiss on Alice’s cheek. “Clearly. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay. And Bella?” Alice called out to her as she began starting toward the door, causing her to look back. “If I might make one suggestion for you? Take your own advice and stop overthinking things so much. If you guys are doing good, everything else will fall into place when it’s meant to. Whether it’s tomorrow or three months from now.”

Bella’s eyes widened, and she shook her head rapidly. “I might literally explode after three months.”

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.

.

Over the next four hours, Bella tried to put her thoughts aside and focus on her task at work, which was easy until she went to take her break. Then, it all came rushing back to her and was compounded by a text from Edward, containing four simple words that caused her stomach to bottom out.

_We need to talk._

Her mind instantly started spinning. Everything had seemed fine and normal between them when they spoke the night before, and there hadn’t been anything indicating that something was wrong in his text from earlier that morning. What could have changed so drastically between then and now that he would suddenly need to talk to her almost the instant school let out for the day, judging by the time stamp. She still had a little over ten minutes left on her break and knew she wouldn’t be able to get it out of her head, imagining every worst-case scenario possible, so she pressed the call button.

“Hey,” Edward answered after the first ring, sounding a little tired, but nothing really indicating that something was terribly off. “Aren’t you still at work?”

“Yeah, but I’m on break and have a few minutes. So, what’s up?” Bella responded, making an effort to keep her voice calm and neutral while her chest was tightening.

Edward drew in a slow breath and the first hint of tension laced his voice as he began to speak again. “I hate to do this, but I’m going to have to take a rain check for tomorrow. Something has come up, and I need to head to Forks in the morning rather than Sunday. I’m probably going to stay out there for the weekend.”

“Oh?” Bella attempted to keep the disappointment out of her voice, though she was relieved that it was not nearly as bad as she’d feared. It still meant she wouldn’t see him that weekend, though, and it happened to be one of the rare times she had both Saturday _and_ Sunday off. “Everything all right?”

“Yeah. My sister just decided to fly in a day early to surprise my dad for his birthday, so we’re all getting together tomorrow instead,” Edward replied and released a soft sigh, his voice lowered quite significantly when he continued. “I just haven’t seen Tanya and the kids in almost a year, and they’ll be up in Alaska for the holidays, so I’d like to spend some time with them before they have to leave next Friday.”

Bella instantly gave herself a metaphorical kick when she heard the torn anguish in his tone, feeling very selfish for her previous thoughts. Naturally, she would never hold it against him for wanting to spend time with his family, but it almost seemed as if he felt he needed to justify his reasons. “Of course. Don’t even worry about it. I’ll just see you next weekend.”

“Unless,” Edward started but then paused for several moments, prompting Bella to remind him that she had to return to work soon. “Unless you’d like to come with me tomorrow.”

Bella’s jaw dropped slightly, and her eyes widened, and she released a nervous chuckle. “Meet the parents already? Really?”

Edward laughed in return. “Well, it seems only fair. I already know _your_ dad.”

“Not as my _boyfriend_ , Edward. That’s a _totally_ different ballpark,” she replied emphatically and then began shaking her head. “Plus, it’s a family thing, so I really have no business being there.”

“It’s not _strictly_ family. Jasper will also be there with Nat as well. Besides, Esme has been looking forward to meeting you practically from the moment I first told her about you.” Silence hung between them for a few seconds before a soft sigh escaped him. “You don’t have to, Bella. I’m sure we can figure out something between now and next weekend. I’d just really like to see you before then.”

Bella hummed in thought—she really didn’t want to go another full week without seeing him, either, and squeezing an hour or two in during the week while they were both working just wouldn’t cut it. It did seem a bit soon to be meeting his entire family, but it also wasn’t as if she would have many other chances to meet his sister anytime in the near future. She could also tell from his tone how much he wanted her to accompany him, so there were really only two choices open to her. Swallow her nerves or deprive them both of each other’s company for a week. _Scratch that, there’s only one,_ she thought. “What time do we leave in the morning?”

Clearly, it was her turn to stun him as she heard a sharp intake of breath from his end of the line, followed by a brief pause before he chuckled. “Really?”

Bella’s smile grew along with the one she could hear in his voice. “Yeah, really.”

“Okay. I’d like to be on the road by eight, so I can pick you up a little before that if you want to ride up together. Or I can text you the directions to my dad’s house if you’d rather meet me there.”

“No, riding together would make more sense, with the added bonus of more time with you. I’ll be ready,” Bella answered with a smile, lost in the moment until one of her coworkers peeked into the room, letting her know that her next appointment had arrived. “Okay, I have to get back to work, but I will see you in the morning.”

“All right. See you then,” Edward replied, and they exchanged goodbyes.

As Bella slid the phone into her back pocket, her breath froze—she had just agreed to meet Edward’s family. Not that it was a bad thing in itself, even if they _had_ only been together for a short while. However, she’d always dodged the topic entirely whenever possible in the past with others, never having any inclination or desire to meet any man’s parents or siblings, let alone all at once. Nor did she care about approval in any other relationship she’d had.

_Great. Now, I’m nervous. This is going to be a long night._

“Edward Cullen, what are you doing to me?” Bella mumbled under her breath as she made her way down the hall toward the room where the client awaited her.


	13. Chapter 13

For his part, Edward was not nervous; at least not about introducing Bella to his father and Esme. They were two of the kindest, most loving people he knew, and he was certain that they would adore her.

Tanya, however…

Edward loved his sister dearly, and he knew that she would not be rude or vile toward Bella, but from the moment he was born, Tanya had always been fiercely protective of him. She’d been cordial in the few times she had interactions with Jennifer, as well as the two other girlfriends he’d had since he was in high school, but she had also never entirely warmed up to them. They didn’t give her the “warm and fuzzies”, she’d told him—whatever that meant. Yet, in hindsight, she hadn’t been wrong, either. Her woman’s intuition had been pretty spot on, more so than Esme’s, who simply wanted Edward to be happy. He knew his sister did as well; just not a fleeting happiness.

While he couldn’t honestly say that he would end things with Bella based on his sister’s reaction, he feared the doubt it might spark in the back of his mind. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Edward found himself completely happy and comfortable with a woman, never feeling as if he had to try and be anyone other than himself with her. He could only hope that was what Tanya saw as well.

When his phone began to vibrate on the table, Edward startled slightly, having been completely lost in thought as he laid there in the dark. He reached over to tilt the screen toward him, almost certain it was Emmett verifying that Edward was actually coming out, as he always did. Yet, when he saw Bella’s name and the simple “you awake?” in the preview, he immediately sat up and responded with a “yes”.

Had she changed her mind? Or had his impulsive decision to ask her to join him scared her off? Or maybe something had come up at work, and she had to cancel?

 _Why not just wait and find out from her what’s going on rather than immediately trying to jump to all kinds of conclusions, dumbass?_ He admonished himself, barely shaking out of his thoughts before his phone started ringing and Bella’s name lit up the screen. “Hey, what’s up?”

“Nothing. Just couldn’t sleep,” Bella responded softly, and then cleared her throat. “I’m a little nervous about tomorrow.”

Edward smiled and laid back again. “My family may be a bit overwhelming, but I assure you, they don’t bite.”

“Hilarious, Edward,” Bella countered, and he could envision her rolling her eyes at him, but her small accompanying chuckle told him that he’d at least partially achieved his goal of relaxing her. “I honestly don’t know why I’m so nervous. You know, aside from _never_ having met a boyfriend’s parents before.”

Edward’s forehead creased. “ _Never_?”

“Nothing has ever gotten that far before,” Bella replied with her voice lowered again. “Even if it was brought up, I just never had the desire. If anything, it always felt like a red flag to me, and the relationship would never last long after that.”

“I see,” Edward said, trying to keep his voice level through the almost instantaneous tightening of his chest. “And you’re feeling those red flags now?”

Bella’s end of the line was quiet for a prolonged and agonizing moment before he finally heard a slow exhale and a whispered, “No.”

Edward sighed in relief, while simultaneously attempting to correlate the strong, confident Bella he had come to know in the past few weeks with the shy, almost demure woman speaking to him on the phone right then. He’d never seen that side of her; at least not to that extent. She sounded genuinely nervous, he thought as he rubbed his eyes with his fingertips. “Well, isn’t that a good thing?”

“Yes. Mostly. I just don’t know how to handle a situation like this.”

“Bella, they’re just people. You meet people you’ve never seen before every single day, right?” Edward asked and heard her groan in his ear, and he tried not to let her hear him laugh. “It’s not really that different.”

“I seriously beg to differ, Edward,” Bella responded, and he heard her grunt as if standing up from a chair. “With _those_ people, I’m not dating their son or brother, and there’s even a good chance that I may never see them again. And even if I do, it’s for an hour, and then they’re gone again. Nothing personal is ever exchanged between us. Just a massage and they are out the door. It doesn’t matter if they like _me_.”

“So, _technically_ , you _do_ know why you’re so nervous.” Edward was once again attempting not to laugh as she growled a ”shut up” in his ear, and he could almost envision her pacing with her hand running through her hair. “Bella, I can’t think of a single thing for them not to like about you. All they really want is for me to be happy, and I _am_ happy with you.”

Despite his earlier thoughts, he knew this to be absolutely true for each and every member of his family, including Tanya. While that knowledge eased his worries some, it did not seem to have the same effect on Bella. He heard a few small huffs of breath and even a minuscule grunt from her, as well as a long sigh.

“If you would rather not go to Forks with me just now, I completely understand. As I said, we will just figure out something during the week so we can see each other,” Edward stated calmly in an attempt to ease her nerves, but it didn’t seem to be working, as she continued to sound as if she was having a debate with herself. “Honestly, baby, it’s fine. My family will also understand.”

“No, it’s not that…wait, they know I’m coming already?” Bella inquired with a gasp and then groaned at his chuckle. “Of course, it’s only the _polite_ thing to do to inform people that an unexpected guest is coming. Duh, Bella.”

“Stop being so hard on yourself. If you aren’t comfortable with coming along…”

“Oh my God, Edward, stop. Just because I’m nervous doesn’t mean I don’t want to go,” Bella cut him off in a frustrated tone and another sigh escaped her. “Would you mind very much if I came over? I’m just driving myself absolutely crazy over here on my own. Plus, we could leave right from there in the morning rather than you having to come pick me up. A little extra sleep for both of us.”

It was now Edward’s turn to be struck speechless. While the idea of Bella sleeping beside him was not at all an unappealing one, that was not the first thing that popped into his mind. He didn’t intend for his thoughts to immediately go in the direction it did, but it seemed inevitable. Having her that close to him, her body pressed against him, would tempt him in ways that he’d been fighting for weeks. He’d been determined to respect the boundaries she’d set, and that would not change, but he would definitely need another shower in the morning. And while it wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to do so, with as passionate as they had been whenever they were alone—and occasionally not so alone—he had always waited until Bella had gone home for the night. _Never_ with her right in the next room.

However, he’d also be a complete ass if he told her no, with as anxious as she was about the following day, especially since it had been all his idea. He wasn’t a teenage boy anymore, and even when he was, he could control himself. Being there for her was more important than a case of blue balls.

“There’s no way I am making you sleep here on this thing,” Edward started and rose up off the air mattress. “I’ll come to you. Give me about fifteen minutes.”

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.

As soon as Bella hung up, she began pacing the floor just inside the door of her apartment. She had never intended to come across so needy, but in fact, she _did_ need Edward at that moment. No matter how hard she tried, her nervousness only grew about the following day; meeting the family that she knew very little about. The fact that Edward would tense whenever his siblings were mentioned only added fuel to the fire, yet he didn’t seem concerned with her meeting them. The contradiction was driving her more than a little crazy.

When his knock sounded almost exactly fifteen minutes later, she hurried over toward the door, pausing to take a slow breath with her hand on the doorknob before turning it. She didn’t want him to think that she was as anxious as she was, though the phone call had likely already given that away, regardless.

Yet, as she pulled him inside and stepped into his arms, she felt some of it begin to melt away. “Thank you. I know it’s ridiculous for me to be this nervous.”

“Not at all,” Edward replied, kissing the top of her head before she pulled back to take his hand and lead him into the living room, where he set his bag beside the couch. “If you’d like, we could always stop by your dad’s house and even the odds here a bit.”

Bella shook her head insistently. “That would not ease my nerves at all, and as you’ve pointed out, it wouldn’t be even, either. You already know my dad.”

“Not as your boyfriend,” Edward stated, repeating her own words back to her and earning a playful snarl from her. “Besides, do you really think that you could go to Forks undetected and have it not get back to your dad somehow anyway? Would look kind of suspicious if you came all the way out there and didn’t at least say hi.”

“Yes, of course, that thought _has_ crossed my mind. I just thought I would call him in the morning and tell him I was coming out to visit, and then head over to his house tomorrow night. Then I could crash there so I wouldn’t inconvenience your family. They are going to have a full enough house as it is.”

“Arriving in a strange car? You think your father wouldn’t question that at all?” Edward chuckled as she groaned, resting her forehead on his chest, and he ran his hands along her arms. “You wouldn’t be an inconvenience at all, but if you would prefer to stay at your father’s house, that’s okay.”

Bella drew in a deep breath and shook her head, raising her eyes to meet his again. “Not so much _prefer_ it, even if it will be nice to see my dad. Like you said, I can’t exactly go all the way out to Forks and not spend some time with him, but I am not taking away any more of your limited time with your sister than absolutely necessary. And showing up on my father’s doorstep with a man I’m dating, even one he is already somewhat familiar with, would not lead to a short visit.”

Edward smiled and kissed her forehead with a small laugh. “Okay. One overwhelming family visit at a time then.”

“Thank you,” Bella replied, her hand resting on his cheek, and she lifted onto her toes to place a soft kiss on his lips. Slowly drawing her hand back, her fingertips traced along his jawline, and their gazes met again. It never ceased to amaze her that no matter how many or few days passed between seeing each other, her mental image of him was never as accurate, or as incredible, as the reality. Like bringing a camera into focus, his eyes were always a shade greener, his lips a little pinker, and his features sharper. Keeping her desire for him at bay was a challenge even when he _wasn’t_ present—perhaps that was why her mind played the tricks that it did on her. In time, she knew that the novelty would wear off a little, and she wouldn’t constantly be thinking about how much she wanted him whenever he was in her presence. For now, however, she’d be driven to distraction on a constant basis, and she couldn’t be sure if it would get better or worse at that point once they finally did have sex.

 _Wrong direction for now, Bella,_ she thought with a hard swallow. Thinking about sex would not aid in her efforts of getting any rest, which she needed desperately before the long drive and visit with his family the following day. 

“We should probably get some sleep,” Bella whispered, brushing her lips against his once more before taking his hand and leading him back toward the bedroom.


	14. Chapter 14

_Yeah, I was really deluded, thinking there was going to be any actual sleep going on,_ Bella thought about twenty minutes into the drive to Forks, fighting off the fluttering of her eyes. Although she couldn’t deny that the feeling of Edward’s arms around her all night had been amazing, she would be willing to bet that she was lucky if she’d managed an hour or two, total. Especially after she woke up around four, on her side and faced away from Edward, with his body molded along her back and his relatively impressive erection pressing against her ass.

There was absolutely no sleeping after that point, and if Edward’s intermittent yawns throughout the drive as well were any indication, it didn’t seem as if he had fared much better.

“Maybe it’s a good thing I’m staying at my dad’s tonight,” Bella said suddenly, prompting a questioning glance from him before returning his attention to the road. “You look like hell.”

“Uh, thanks? But what does that have to do with you staying at your dad’s?” Edward inquired and then swallowed hard as she began tracing the backs of her fingers along his jaw.

“I’m thinking you’ll probably get some better sleep if I’m not there.” Bella expected at least a half-hearted protest from him but was surprised when she was met with silence—except for the creak of his seat as he subtly shifted his hips. “That’s what I thought. And thank you for not even attempting to lie. Are we going to talk about it?”

Edward’s grip tightened around the steering wheel, and he cleared his throat. “What is there to talk about, really?”

“Sex,” Bella stated in a pointed tone, and Edward’s breath caught for a moment before he chuckled uncomfortably. “Look, we’re both grown adults here, right? And if we’ve managed to get through my big mouth blurting out the first thing that comes to my mind as often as it does, we shouldn’t be embarrassed to talk about something as normal as sex.”

Edward began shaking his head and sighed. “I’m not embarrassed, Bella. I just don’t know if it’s such a good idea to be discussing sex on the way to visit my family. Especially when we can’t do anything about whatever might result from a conversation like that.”

Bella watched as his head bobbed downward slightly and had to pinch her lips together to keep from laughing. “Well, there’s always the option of pulling off this highway and…”

“No!” Edward gasped, and as his body jolted, his foot pressed a little more firmly on the gas and the car accelerated a bit. Bella began to chuckle, and he rolled his eyes. “It’s not funny, Bella. What if there was a car in front of us just now?”

“Then I wouldn’t have said it,” Bella stated pointedly with a shrug, and then she turned toward him as much as her seatbelt would allow. “But this is what I mean. We’ve been dodging the subject, and we are both so tense because of it. And I’m not going to lie and say that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy having you there with me last night, but it was also the worst night of sleep I’ve had in a very long time.”

“I would have to agree with that, unfortunately,” Edward admitted with reluctance heavy in his tone, his Adam’s apple bobbing pronouncedly. “But you have also clearly stated your boundaries, and I am not an insatiable maniac who can’t wait.”

“I’ve gathered that much. Otherwise, we most likely would have been rattling headboards on our second date with the way I was acting,” Bella replied with a nervous chuckle, her eyes cast down to her lap until his hand came into view to take hold of one of hers. “And I’m not an ‘insatiable maniac’, either. I really do have a five-date rule, but from the moment I met you, _everything_ about this has been so different for me. There’s nothing in my rulebook for something like this.”

“But you did say that you at least like to know someone for a month before you even consider taking things any further. Wouldn’t that still apply here?” Edward asked with a gentle squeeze to her hand.

Bella shrugged as she traced her fingertip along his knuckles, watching its path intently. “I don’t know. Honestly, even that’s been thrown off for me. This is the only time I’ve ever gone on an initial date with someone within _hours_ of meeting them, let alone three dates in the first week alone. And most of my dates with men have consisted of dinner or drinks, perhaps an occasional movie, but it’s usually one night a week, and a few hours at a time, tops. Ours have been entire days spent together, for the most part, and more than once a week. Not to mention that I have also spent more time calling and texting you in the last three weeks than I have with all my collective relationships _combined_. It’s technically been more than a month, both in the number of dates and time with one another. Plus, we did just spend the night together as well.”

Edward cleared his throat as her rambling slowed to a stop as she traced circles over the back of his hand with her finger. “Bella, is this a roundabout way of saying that you’re ready?”

“Truth be told, I probably would have been ready a couple of weeks ago, but I didn’t want to rush this. Now, I can’t think of a single reason for us to hold back anymore,” Bella answered honestly, his straightforward response dissipating all hints of her nervousness.

“Shit,” Edward cursed under his breath, his head falling back against the headrest and earning a stunned response from her. He glanced over toward her to find her eyes widened and gazing at him questioningly, and he shook his head. “And we are on our way to Forks. This is going to be a long weekend.”

Bella laughed, releasing his hand to raise hers to his hair, running her fingers through the strands. “From what I felt last night, it will be worth the wait.”

“Bella,” he replied with a groan, followed by a chuckle, and she could feel the tension decrease minimally in the tendons of his neck. “I would prefer to greet my sister in a couple of hours _without_ a raging hard-on.”

“Okay, I’ll be good for now, but don’t plan on going home Sunday night,” Bella added, and Edward drew a deep breath in through his nose in an attempt to calm himself again.

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All thoughts of teasing and tempting Edward ceased abruptly as Bella’s eyes caught sight of “The City of Forks Welcomes You” sign as they crossed the town line a few hours later. Very shortly, she would be face-to-face with the members of his family, and most importantly, the sister he held in such high regard. As hard as she tried to hide the nerves churning her stomach, it clearly showed in the way her fingers were toying with the chain around her neck and the small locket that hung from it. Once Edward had pulled into a long driveway that led to a modest, two-story house and parked in front of it, his hand came to rest on her knee, startling her slightly.

“Don’t worry so much. Everything will be fine,” he said, leaning toward her to brush a gentle kiss on her lips.

For that brief instant, her anxiety abated some, and she even managed a smile as he pulled back and met her eyes with his. Yet, when his gaze shifted away from her and toward the house, and his smile broadened even more, she knew the moment of truth had arrived.

Bella closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath as Edward exited the car, whispering to herself while he made his way around to her door. “This is so stupid. I’m twenty-five years old and acting like a spastic teenager. As Edward said, they are just people. Why the hell am I so nervous?”

The moment the door pulled open and her eyes rose to his face, she sighed. _He_ was the reason. Not for anything he’d done or said, but because he had become _that_ important to her, and so quickly. Aside from being an altogether new experience for her as a whole, she desperately wanted his family to like her. The fact that she could easily ruin that with one instance of not thinking before she spoke did not help matters at all, and it increased in likelihood the more her nerves built within her.

Setting her hand in Edward’s and rising from the car, Bella tightened her grip on him immediately and gave a brisk nod. “Yeah, as long as I don’t fall on my ass on the way to the door or speak at all for the remainder of the afternoon, everything will be fine.”

Edward chuckled and rolled his eyes, sliding his arm around her waist and guiding her toward the house. “First of all, I would not let you fall. And second, I am willing to bet that you are going to be laughing at yourself by the end of the day at how ridiculous all this nervousness turns out to be.”

“That’s an easy thing to say when the spotlight is _not_ on you,” Bella remarked quietly as Edward knocked on the front door and held her breath as it swung open.

Before them stood a tall young man with curly brown hair, who barely glanced up from his phone to look at them before his eyes returned to the screen, and he called out, “Hey, Dad, Uncle Edward’s here with some chick.”

“Shane Matthew Cullen!” An almost screeching, female voice sounded from just inside, and from behind him appeared an equally tall, statuesque blonde woman with a severe expression on her face. “I raised you better than that.”

“Ow, sorry, Mom,” he responded, rubbing the back of his head for effect after his mother had lightly smacked him before he ducked out of the entryway and disappeared from sight.

The woman kept her eyes narrowed as she watched him retreat, then her features softened as she brought her gaze to Bella. “I’m so sorry about him. I swear, it’s like he was raised in a barn or something. I’m Rosalie, Emmett’s wife.”

Bella glanced down for a moment at Rosalie’s extended hand, still a little stunned by the scene that had just transpired. With a nervous chuckle, she accepted the greeting and shook it with her own. “Bella, Edward’s girlfriend.”

The corner of Rosalie’s mouth twitched up as her eyes flickered to her brother-in-law, and she shook her head. “Which horror stories have you told this poor girl?”

Edward sighed, letting his head fall back for a moment, and then returned his gaze to her. “She’s just nervous, Rose. You’re not helping.”

Rosalie released a carefree laugh, still keeping hold of Bella’s hand as she guided them inside and leaned toward her almost conspiratorially. “Trust me, if Edward’s oddities haven’t scared you off yet, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Bella turned her head to look behind her as Rosalie continued guiding them toward a room filled with noise, catching Edward’s eye roll, but was relieved to see it followed by an easy smile and wink at her. Yet, when she turned to face forward again, her own eyes widened at the scene that met them as they entered what turned out to be a large kitchen.

Three young boys darted across their path, chasing a laughing girl wearing a glove with a baseball securely gripped in it and waving it over her head, taunting them for their lack of skills. A tall blonde, comparable in height and beauty to the one standing beside her, scolded the boys for running in the house, while an older woman at the stove halfheartedly admonished “Violet” for teasing them.

“Don’t listen to her. Give ‘em hell, honey.” A large, dark-haired man seated at the table with a miraculously sleeping child on his lap laughed, holding out a hand for the girl to high five on the way by.

“Emmett Cullen, do not use that kind of language while holding my baby!” the blonde woman hissed softly, reaching down and lifting the child off his lap.

“I would argue that ‘hell’ is hardly considered swearing, Tan. He probably hears worse at his preschool,” Emmett replied with a laugh, which increased when she kicked at his foot with a chuckle herself.

The entire room fell to near silence when Rosalie cleared her throat loudly, all eyes turning toward them, and then immediately zeroing in on Bella. As hard as she tried to present an air of confidence, her hand reclaimed Edward’s, and she shifted minimally toward him.

Edward sighed heavily. “What’s with the ‘deer-in-headlights’ looks on you all? It’s not the first time I’ve brought my girlfriend home, you know.”

The woman by the stove, whom Bella assumed was Esme, was the first to step forward, throwing the hand towel she’d been holding at Emmett, who was snickering under his breath. After a half-hearted admonishment, yet with a look that spoke louder than words, she turned her gaze toward Bella with a warm smile. “Hello, Bella, I’m Esme. It’s so nice to finally meet you. Please, come in.”

Between Esme and Edward, she was introduced around the room. First was his father, Carlisle, and Bella couldn’t help but think that she could definitely understand how he managed to marry so many times. Even now, in his early sixties, he was still a strikingly good-looking man, with the same subtle and unassuming charm that he had obviously passed onto his son—well, Edward, anyway.

There was absolutely nothing subtle about Emmett, who bounded out of his seat upon introduction and swept Bella into a hug, which completely took her off-guard. The two brothers could not have been more different, in looks _or_ personality.

Next was Shane, Emmett and Rosalie’s oldest son, who apologized again for his behavior at the door. Four other children were named in passing—Luna, Elijah, Violet, and Trevor.

Then, finally, the moment Bella had both looked forward to and dreaded in near equal measure. Edward slid his arm around her again and gestured toward the blond woman holding the small child previously seated on Emmett’s lap. “This little guy here is Miles, and this is my sister, Tanya.”

The two women gazed at each other for a prolonged moment, and Bella felt her stomach doing somersaults as Tanya seemed to be sizing her up. She tried not to let it affect her, knowing how protective Tanya was of her youngest brother, yet she still found herself uncomfortable after several moments of the woman’s perusal. However, after a brief glance at Edward, she smiled, shifting Miles on her hip and holding her hand out to Bella. “Nice to meet you. Edward has told me a _lot_ about you.”

Edward looked away with a heavy sigh at the insinuation in his sister’s voice, but soon, his smile returned with a shy laugh. “Thanks, sis.”

With the initial tension broken, the atmosphere noticeably relaxed, conversation resumed, and the room had the feel of a very normal, happy family gathering. It was quite a bit more boisterous than anything Bella was accustomed to, which only increased upon the arrival of Jasper and his daughter, Natalie. Yet, the somewhat familiar face managed to put her a little more at ease.

After lunch, the entire family moved outside, enjoying the brisk, late autumn air, but Bella’s eyes never left Edward. The love he had for his entire family was on full display in their interactions, but what amazed her the most was something that shouldn’t have been surprising at all. It had always been obvious to her how much Edward adored children, just having witnessed the interactions he had with his students. Yet, watching him with his nieces and nephews, including Nat, was an entirely different experience altogether. His laughter was as genuine as theirs as they jumped on his back and tackled him to the ground, or when he would swing them around and chase them across the yard along with his brother and Jasper.

It was the happiest she had seen him since they met.

“He really cares about you, ya know,” a voice broke Bella’s concentration, and her head turned abruptly toward the source—Tanya. “I wasn’t _entirely_ aiming to embarrass him when I said I’d heard a lot about you, but he’s my baby brother. I wouldn’t be a sister if I didn’t tease him a _little_.”

Bella chuckled nervously when Tanya winked and then nodded in response. “I know. He means a lot to me, too.”

A smile tugged at the corners of Tanya’s lips as her gaze fixed on Edward again. “I would have to be blind not to see that. But at the risk of sounding old-fashioned and overbearing, what are your intentions with this relationship?”

Bella drew in a deep breath, pulling the thick flannel shirt that she had borrowed from Carlisle tighter around her. “This is still pretty new, and we’re getting to know each other.”

“I am not trying to make you uncomfortable, Bella. Far from it,” Tanya said, turning her eyes back to Bella. “It’s just that, in case you haven’t noticed, Edward is not a casual relationship kind of guy, and the last thing I want to see is for him to get his heart broken.”

“That makes two of us,” Bella replied somewhat defensively, reprimanding herself almost instantly— _not a good way to encourage warm feelings with the family_. “I’m not in this for a casual hookup, Tanya. I wouldn’t be here right now if I was. But I’m also not going to stand here and say that I’m madly in love with him and ready to have his babies after three weeks, either. Then I’d just be a fraud. He _does_ make me happier than I’ve probably ever been, and I want nothing more than to do the same for him.”

“You have,” Tanya said in a distant voice, and Bella watched her eyes follow Edward as he swept up her youngest child in his arms and began tickling him. The boy’s giggles echoed across the yard, even as he buried his face against his uncle’s shoulder. “I can’t say that I’ve ever seen or heard him as happy as he’s been these last few weeks, at least not since he was a little boy. It’s been difficult for him to form attachments with anyone, even his girlfriends, for many years, but he’s different with you. That’s both wonderful and a little scary to see. He’s been through a lot in his life, and I want so much for him to be happy. Now that he is, I don’t want it to end.”

The break in Tanya’s voice at the end of her statement, as well as the hint of tears in her eyes, caused a tug at Bella’s heart. She sounded more like a mother than a sister, and then Bella had to remind herself that, in many ways, that’s exactly what she was. She recalled Edward telling her that for the first several years of his life, Tanya had been the one who mainly raised him and was more of a mother to him than the woman who had given birth to him. So, her protectiveness of him was understandable to an extent.

“No one can know exactly what the future holds, but I _can_ say that when I think about mine, I can envision Edward in it, and _that_ is something very new for me,” Bella stated honestly, hoping that Tanya could see the sincerity in her eyes when she looked at her again, before excusing herself to go find the restroom.

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.

Inside, Bella took a moment to herself as she slowly made her way back out to rejoin the family, when a single photograph caught her attention on the hallway wall. The image was of a young boy that she had no doubt was Edward when he was maybe nine, laughing as a much older boy held him with an arm around his chest, obviously play wrestling. The build was too slender to be Emmett—was that the mysterious Garrett that no one had mentioned even _once_ that day? Everyone else seemed pretty close-knit, especially for such a blended family, and she’d never heard Edward speak ill about any of his siblings, but had there been a falling out with Garrett at some point?

A pair of strong arms wrapping around her and lips pressing to her neck alerted Bella to Edward’s presence behind her. “There you are. I was wondering where you’d snuck off to.”

Bella’s hand rose to rest on his arm, pressing it firmly against her abdomen as she laid her head back on his chest. “I just needed a minute. Your family is great, it’s just all a bit overwhelming, that’s all.”

“Tanya didn’t intimidate you too much, did she?” he asked against her hair, gently kissing her temple as she shook her head with a smile. Then she felt his body stiffen slightly as his eyes had obviously followed the path of hers. “That’s Garrett.”

“I thought so since he’s the only face I don’t recognize now,” Bella replied, hearing his hard swallow beside her ear. “Where is he?”

Edward didn’t answer immediately, and she turned her head to look at him, finding his jaw locked and his expression tense. “He died. Almost twenty years ago now.”

“Edward, I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have pried,” Bella said, turning in his arms to face him.

He was shaking his head and finally met her gaze. “I promised I would tell you everything someday, but not right now. Not here, okay?”

Bella nodded in understanding, and he leaned down to kiss her gently. The light that had been present in his eyes and smile all day had dimmed, and she wished she could rewind the last few minutes and bring it back. So, she attempted to alleviate the mood. “So, you’ve talked about me a lot, huh?”

Edward chuckled softly, a slight tinge coloring his face after a moment, and though his smile didn’t entirely reach his eyes, it was a start. “Tanya likes to exaggerate, but yeah, you came up in conversation a time or dozen.”


	15. Chapter 15

Of course, Edward had been proven right. By the end of the evening, as they were leaving to bring Bella to her father’s house for the night, she did indeed find humor in how nervous she had been leading up to the visit with his family. They had all been warm and welcoming, even Tanya, in her own way, and she hadn’t felt much like an outsider at all.

However, by eight o’clock, both Bella and Edward were feeling the effects of the lack of rest the night before. They each desperately needed some sleep. Even on the relatively short drive, she was fighting to keep her eyes open and nearly fell asleep, and Edward used the silence between them to think. He had been fairly confident that his family would really like Bella, yet the fondness they’d actually shown for her took him a little by surprise, especially his sister. In the years he was with Jennifer, Tanya had indeed been cordial but that was about as far as she could manage. There was “something off about her”, she said and had been so very correct.

He had to admit that he felt a stir of nervousness in his stomach when he saw Tanya approach Bella on the porch while he was playing with the kids. He’d been dreading that moment for a couple of days—that she would get the same feeling about his current girlfriend as she did about his last. Bella was perfect in his eyes, but he’d also been blind to Jennifer’s faults for so long as well.

At first, it didn’t appear to be going well. Bella’s posture was stiff, and Tanya’s expression was difficult to decipher, as it appeared to fluctuate each time he managed to sneak a glance over in that direction. Concern filled him when he caught Bella’s movement as she retreated into the house and then saw a smile touch Tanya’s lips. He told the kids that he would be right back and headed toward the porch, folding his arms over his chest when he reached his sister. She merely shook her head and told him to give Bella a minute or two, and she’d be fine.

 _Nothing fake about this girl._ Tanya’s words rang in his head as Bella’s deep intake of breath drew him back to the present, and he glanced over to find her gazing at him sleepily.

“You’re going to end up with early wrinkles if you keep thinking too hard like that,” she murmured softly, and he rolled his eyes with a laugh, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just been a long day,” Edward responded with an exhausted sigh as he turned onto the street where Bella’s father lived—a road every kid in Forks throughout his childhood knew well. “You?”

“Same on all counts,” Bella said with a tired smile, turning slightly in her seat when he slowed to stop in front of Chief Swan’s house. Her eyes were downcast, staring at their joined hands but making no move to exit the car. “So, when did you want to head back home tomorrow?”

Edward watched her for a moment, his gaze lowering to her bottom lip, where she began tugging at it with her teeth. “I don’t know. Maybe early afternoon, so you can have some time with your dad, and we _both_ can catch up on some sleep?”

Bella gave a breathy chuckle and brought her eyes back up to his. “Do you think you could come by a little while before that?”

“Sure. Is there something else you’d like to do before we head back?”

“Yeah,” Bella said, shifting her hand to glide her fingers between his. “I’d like my dad to meet you, as my boyfriend, at least.”

“Bella,” Edward answered, exhaling heavily and leaning his head against the seat. “I don’t want you to feel pressured if you’re not ready yet. We already talked about this. My family was overwhelming enough for you for one weekend.”

Bella immediately shook her head, moving closer to kiss him gently. “I don’t feel pressured. A little nervous about introducing a guy to my father, maybe. He _is_ still the police chief, after all, _and_ a father of an only daughter. The thought of bringing guys home has always led to a touch of high anxiety.”

Edward chuckled and pressed his lips to her forehead. “As a law-abiding individual, both presently and in my youth, I think it will be fairly safe. I highly doubt that I’m the worst candidate in Forks to be bringing home to meet your father. It’s not like I’m Tyler Crowley or anything.”

Bella winced and slowly brought her eyes up to meet Edward’s. “No, nothing could be quite _that_ bad…again.”

Edward’s eyes widened, gazing at her in disbelief. They’d never really gone into great detail with Bella’s dating history, but that genuinely seemed to take him by surprise. “Are you serious?”

Bella sighed heavily, clearly not proud of this revelation. “Only for like two days before Homecoming. But yeah, my dad was none too pleased when he opened the door to find Tyler on the other side. I didn’t know at the time that he had busted Tyler and Eric Yorkie skipping school, drunk off their asses, in their sophomore year. He wouldn’t let me out the door until I agreed to drive. Then, I ditched his ass there when I found him groping Jessica Stanley in my back seat. Needless to say, I also had my entire car deep-cleaned the next day as well.”

Edward involuntarily cringed and shook his head. “Yeah, he’s never been known for his tact, but how’d he get into your car?”

“Does _anyone_ lock their doors in Forks?” Bella shot back with a quirked eyebrow, to which Edward nodded in agreement. “Anyway, he claimed he forgot something in the car, and when he didn’t come back after ten minutes, I went out to make sure he was okay. He was ‘okay’, all right. But in my defense, I’d only been in Forks for about a month or so at the time, so I didn’t know what a complete douchbag he was. I felt more badly for Mike that night, although I found pity difficult to muster when he ended up marrying her anyway.”

“You and everyone else in Forks,” Edward concurred with a laugh.

“Anyway,” Bella began, eager to change the subject. “Will you come over tomorrow?”

Edward reached over to brush aside the hair that had fallen forward as her head tipped down, tucking it behind her ear before lifting her chin with his fingertips. “If you want me to, I will.”

“I really do. Besides, I’d hate for my dad to think I had something to hide from him,” Bella replied with a small laugh, but as she gazed at him, the truth in her words struck her. She didn’t want to hide _anything_ when it came to Edward, least of all from her father, which was strange in and of itself. While she hadn’t been dishonest when she told Tanya that she wasn’t madly in love with him yet, she also couldn’t deny the truth in what she’d told Alice—she _was_ falling and _hard_. There was no refuting that.

“Then I’ll be here. Just let me know when,” he agreed, gently guiding her lips toward his to give her a kiss goodnight, and she responded a little more eagerly than he was expecting. Her fingers laced in his hair, holding him firmly against her, and he felt the lightest tug of her teeth on his lower lip. Reluctantly, he pulled away and swallowed hard. “Bella, your father is at the door, and I highly doubt this is the sort of introduction you had in mind.”

Bella turned her head to glance over her shoulder, and sure enough, there stood her dad in the doorway. She sighed and brought her gaze back to Edward, shaking her head. “No, it’s really not. I’ll text you when I wake up in the morning, and we can figure everything out from there.”

“Sounds good,” Edward replied, pecking her lips gently one more time before she turned to get out of the car. “Night, Bella.”

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.

.

 _I’m awake but my brain is not. Coffee and a shower are in order, in that exact sequence_ , Bella texted Edward the next morning before she’d even rolled out of bed, already hearing her dad moving around downstairs. Though not surprising, since he’d always been an early riser, she knew damn well that he was down there waiting for her. He’d allowed her to bow out of conversation the night before, noting her exhaustion, but she’d definitely seen the numerous questions in his eyes as she passed him to head upstairs to her old bedroom.

Now, with a full night’s rest under her belt, she knew she was in for more than a few questions.

Bella’s phone dinged a couple of minutes later as she was brushing her teeth, and she picked it up with her free hand to read.

_I’m already quite a few steps ahead of you. Two little rugrats by the names of Trevor and Elijah made sure their favorite uncle was up at the crack of dawn this morning._

Bella smiled at the image his words conjured in her mind, recalling the day before, with both boys vying for Edward’s attention, much to the displeasure of Emmett’s daughter, Violet. The two argued that she was able to see him whenever she wanted, and they couldn’t, living in Alaska. Which was definitely a valid point. However, Trevor in particular seemed overly possessive of Edward’s time and attention, which was easier to understand once the reason was explained to her.

Five years previous, just before her move to Alaska, Tanya’s best friend had succumbed to her battle with breast cancer, leaving her two-year-old son, Trevor, behind. With no father in the picture, she had signed over guardianship to Tanya and her husband, who adopted him shortly thereafter. While the entire family had been welcoming, no one quite knew how to explain the situation to a toddler in a way he could fully understand—except for Edward. His time in child psychology classes in college, as well as the few years of teaching at that point as well, gave him an advantage, and Trevor had formed a close bond with him through that.

Therefore, it came as no surprise that he would be anxious for every moment he could squeeze out of the day before Edward would have to leave Forks. It seemed that Elijah, on the other hand, was only being a typical seven-year-old boy, excited to spend time with his uncle, not exactly sure when the next visit would be.

_Sounds like you have a busy day ahead of you, so I’ll leave you to it. Let me know when you are ready to head over here._

Bella set her phone down to rinse her mouth and run a quick brush through her hair, glancing down when she heard another message come through.

_Will do. Is around noon good for you?_

Her eyes flickered to the clock on the screen—it was already nine. _Three hours to prep Dad—and myself—for being introduced to my boyfriend for the first time since high school, and voluntarily, at that._ It felt like both forever and not nearly long enough all at once.

_Sounds good. Have fun and ttyl._

After opting for a quick shower first, Bella headed downstairs and to the kitchen, immediately spotting her father by the coffee pot, pouring both of them a cup. “Morning, Dad.”

“Morning, sunshine,” Charlie replied with a chuckle as he held out one of the mugs to her. “A shower _before_ your caffeine fix? You wouldn’t be trying to avoid your old man for any reason, now would you?”

Bella rolled her eyes and took a sip, unable to hide her smile at the taste—even after all the years on her own, her father still remembered exactly how she took her coffee. “No, Dad, I’m not avoiding you. I had a very long day yesterday, and I felt grungy. So, how have you been?”

“Nice try, Bells, but you know damn well how I’m doing. This is Forks. Even the slightest change is practically front-page news,” Charlie started pointedly, sitting down across from her at the small kitchen table and leaning forward. “It’s you I want to talk about. Not that I _ever_ mind having you appear on my doorstep out of the blue, but it’s just not like you. Especially not in a car that isn’t your own and getting a little…intense with a man in the front seat. What’s going on?”

“Nothing like pouring on the subtlety, huh, Dad?” Bella responded with an exasperated sigh, glancing up to find him gazing back at her over the rim of his coffee cup. “I’ve been seeing someone for a little while.”

Charlie appeared to mull that over for a moment before he slowly began nodding. “Well, I would hope so, solely based on what I saw last night. What’s his name?”

Bella felt her face heating more by the second, both at the additional reference to her thoughtless actions the night before in Edward’s car and what she knew was just the beginning of a likely long conversation. Well, long by her father’s standards, anyway—he never was much of a conversationalist. “Edward Cullen.”

Charlie visibly froze, even ceasing to breathe for a few seconds before setting his cup down again, foregoing the sip he was about to take. “Cullen? Did you just say Cullen?”

She gazed at him questioningly, finding his tone very odd. She was certain that had Edward been a problem in his youth, which she honestly couldn’t imagine, he would have been one of the cautionary tales she’d been told when she first moved to Forks. Even though he’d already left for college by then, his family still resided in the area, and there was always the possibility that he would return at some point. Charlie’s reaction was therefore confusing to her. “Yeah, I said Cullen. Is there a problem?”

Charlie’s mustache twitched as his lips pursed, and then he shook his head. “No, not really. Edward was actually a really good kid growing up, from what I can tell. Never had any major problems with him whatsoever, but the family...”

Bella sighed heavily in frustration. “Dad, please don’t tell me that you’re one of those judgmental people when it comes to Dr. Cullen. So, he’s been married more than a few times. He’s also one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and so are the rest of them.”

“Bella, calm down and stop being so defensive,” Charlie countered, holding up his hand to stop her. “I do not have a problem with Carlisle, or his wife and family as people. Quite the opposite. It’s just that the Cullens…there’s been a lot that’s happened over the years with them. Edward probably has quite a bit of baggage.”

“Most people do. Families of any shape or form can be complicated. Look at ours,” Bella said, gesturing between Charlie and herself. “My childhood wasn’t exactly normal, either. Growing up most of my life in a different state from my dad.”

Charlie’s eyes grew sad and lowered, and she began mentally kicking herself for bringing that up. She knew damn well that he had never even remotely begun to forgive himself for not fighting her mother harder for Bella. Even more so after she’d moved to Forks because Renee’s new husband had turned out to be an abusive alcoholic, and Charlie learned that he’d only been the latest in a long line of similar types of men. “I know, and I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know how much you know about the Cullens or what Edward has told you, nor is it my place to share anything that he hasn’t.”

“I know that his father has been married five times and had four children. That came out on our second date. And I found out yesterday that his brother, Garrett, died when Edward was a kid, but it’s not something he’s eager to talk about in more detail yet. We haven’t been together _that_ long, and it’s a topic that’s obviously painful for him.”

“I can imagine it is,” Charlie replied softly with a nod of his head. “They aren’t bad people, by any means, and I’m sure Edward is a nice kid…”

“Dad, he’s twenty-seven. He’s hardly a ‘kid’,” Bella interjected, causing Charlie to look over at her in annoyance, but she continued before he could. “Edward _is_ a wonderful person, but we’ve also only been together for a few weeks. I don’t expect him to spill every one of his secrets to me all at once while we are still getting to know each other, but I have no doubt that he will when he’s ready. He’s _assured_ me that he will. The only reason I’ve brought this up so soon at all is that I’ve asked him to come over here before we head to Seattle to meet you as my boyfriend.”

Charlie’s eyes widened almost comically, and he straightened up in his chair. “But you never—”

Bella sighed and nodded, her gaze falling to her lap, where she was toying with a loose thread at the end of her sleeve. “I know, I don’t usually bring guys home to meet you, and this is still really early on, but he’s special. Besides, I know that if you ever found out that I came all the way out here with a boyfriend and _didn’t_ introduce him to you, especially after I’d met _his_ family, you’d be more than a little suspicious.”

“Probably,” Charlie admitted, but when Bella glanced up to give him a dubious look, he leaned back and folded his arms over his chest. “Okay, yes, I would. But you’re happy?”

Bella’s lips quirked up into a shy smile. “Yeah, I really am.”

“All right, then. Bring him around.”

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.

Bella wasn’t sure what to make of the looks being exchanged between Edward and her father as she introduced them, or even as they sat at the kitchen table making small talk. They weren’t hostile at all, but there seemed to be a hint of tension there. Even the handshake as they were leaving to head back home was a little firmer than she would expect, and Edward was exceptionally quiet for the first several minutes of their drive.

As they crossed the town line, Bella reached over to touch his knee, causing him to startle slightly, but he offered her a small, apologetic smile a second later. “Edward, what’s wrong?”

Edward shook his head, releasing the tight grip of one hand on the steering wheel to lower and take hold of hers. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

Bella sighed as he lifted their joined hands to press a kiss to hers before releasing it to resume his prior position. “I promised I wouldn’t pressure you to talk about anything you’re not ready for, and I won’t, but please don’t lie to me. Or tell me not to worry, because that will have the exact opposite effect. You’ve never mentioned having any problem with my dad any time he’s been brought up in conversation. You weren’t bothered in the slightest by the prospect of meeting him until the second you were inside that house and the tension became palpable. Don’t tell me that’s nothing.”

“No, it’s not,” Edward admitted in a soft voice, his eyes still fixed firmly on the road. “I don’t have a problem with your father, Bella. He’s a great man.”

“Then, what is it?” Bella asked curiously and then noticed that familiar lost, sad expression spread across Edward’s features, and her heart twisted. Her mind was spinning with thoughts—her father’s reaction when she’d said the name “Cullen”, his odd demeanor while discussing her boyfriend and his family, the blanching of Edward’s face as Charlie stood in front of him, and everything that followed. Suddenly, it clicked for her. “He’s tied to the things you aren’t ready to talk about yet, isn’t he?”

Edward tentatively nodded and swallowed hard, then he guided the car toward the side of the road and parked, cutting the ignition. For nearly a full minute, he sat completely still, his head resting back with his eyes closed. Even his breaths were barely audible, so when he spoke again, the sound startled her almost as much as the words themselves. “Charlie was one of the responding officers when I found Garrett.”

“You ‘found’ Garrett…as in…” Bella spoke hesitantly, almost afraid to voice what he appeared to be insinuating, and she felt her stomach bottom out when he nodded again. “Oh my god. You were just a kid.”

“Three days after my tenth birthday,” Edward acknowledged in a tight voice, turning his head to gaze out the window, but she had caught the tears gathering in his eyes before he could hide them.

“Edward, it’s really okay if you don’t want to talk about it,” Bella tried to assure him, reaching over to rest her hand on his shoulder.

Edward covered it with his own, bringing it to his chest and pressing it more firmly against him, and took a deep breath before continuing. “No, it’s fine. Honestly, I’m surprised that you don’t know my entire family history already, having lived in Forks for any length of time. It’s a pretty small town with some of the worst gossips known to man. You’d eventually find out anyway, and I’d rather have you hear it from me. Better now before things progress much further between us, and you have an out with minimal lasting effects.”

“I’m not looking for an out,” Bella replied firmly, hearing the anxiety in his voice build more by the second. “And I don’t really pay attention to gossips and neither does my dad. Before yesterday, I only knew of Dr. Cullen by hearing his name being paged a few times in the emergency room. I was a bit accident-prone in my awkward teenage years.”

“Yeah, me, too. When you grow seven inches in a summer, it tends to knock your equilibrium off a bit,” Edward countered with a small grin that only lifted one corner of his mouth, and then drew in a deep breath as he felt Bella’s eyes on him and began. “Obviously, in a family with four kids from as many marriages, things weren’t exactly what anyone would consider ‘normal’, despite my dad’s best efforts. He’s a really good man and the best father any of us could ask for, and all of us, except for Emmett, have a better relationship with him than with our mothers. But Garrett had it the worst. Most of it happened before I was even born, so I only saw the aftereffects.”

Bella watched as his hand shifted, gliding his fingers between hers and securing his hold a little more. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her palm and saw the hard bob of his Adam’s apple, so whatever was churning in his mind was clearly causing him a fair amount of stress. “Edward, it’s okay. You don’t have to…”

Edward shook his head abruptly, cutting her off. He continued to hold onto her hand tightly, as if still worried that she would leave at any moment—which he believed was a distinct possibility. That scared him more than it should have after so little time, but he was beyond questioning that anymore. “Garrett died from a heroin overdose, and I was the only one who didn’t see it coming, at least within my family.”

“You were a kid. We see things through rose-colored glasses when we are children,” Bella replied, feeling her own heart breaking at the sound of not only the pain of losing a sibling, but the guilt also hovering beneath the surface. 

“No, I just refused to see it. I may be closest to Tanya, and I love Emmett dearly, but my relationship with Garrett was different. He was my invincible hero, and he could do anything. He taught me how to ride a bike, play the guitar and piano, let me watch R-rated movies when Dad and Tanya weren’t looking.” Edward paused with a sad chuckle, and a single tear trailed down his cheek. “I got so angry with my father when he sent Garrett away to what I _now_ know was rehab. I ignored his mood swings and his tremors when he was going through withdrawals if he couldn’t get his fix. How he kept getting thinner and thinner. Then I walked into his room that morning.”

Bella brought her free hand to his chin, turning his face toward her to look at her, and shook her head. “Edward, that’s the very definition of rose-colored glasses. You saw what you wanted to see, not what was really there, but that’s what kids do. You should know that better than anyone. You see it every day. There’s no fault in that.”

“You actually sound a lot like your dad. He said something very similar to me that day. And logically, I know that no one could have saved him except Garrett himself, but there’s always that part of me that insists that I should have known or done _something_.” Edward sighed, leaning forward to rest his forehead against Bella’s, and she began gently running her fingers through his hair.

She didn’t know exactly what she could say to him in that moment, so she remained silent. To tell him he was wrong would be to dismiss his feelings, but it was also agonizing to hear that even a small part of him still carried guilt for something that he had no control over. All she felt she could do for the time being was be there and comfort him as best as she could.

“I’m sorry,” she heard him whisper, and she opened her eyes, pulling back a little to see him more fully. “It wasn’t my intention to ruin the weekend like this. I didn’t think that seeing your father again would affect me this way. It’s just been a really long time.”

Bella began shaking her head insistently, framing the side of his face with her hand. “You haven’t ruined _anything_. Not for me, at least. I’m grateful that you trusted me enough to share that with me.”

“Are you still sure you’re not looking for an out?” Edward asked, minimally tightening his hold on her hand that he still had pressed to his chest as his eyes searched hers.

Bella answered him by meeting his lips with hers in a soft but firm kiss, pulling away slowly to gaze back at him. “I’ve never been _more_ sure.”

Edward closed his eyes as he felt her thumb glide across his cheek to swipe away another tear that had managed to escape, despite his best efforts. It had been so long since he’d allowed himself to delve so deep into his emotions, but with Bella, it was different. There was no intense clinical breakdown of every single feeling he had as he’d experienced with the therapist he started seeing after Garrett’s death. Nor was there the passing judgment he’d felt from everyone in town, and even his former girlfriends. There was nothing but caring and compassion emanating from Bella, and she wasn’t pulling away.

“Thank you,” he whispered, kissing her gently before resting his forehead against her shoulder. “We really need to get off the side of the road. Would you mind driving for a bit?”

“Not at all.”


End file.
